Spirit Animals
by TheFullmetalBitch
Summary: This is my retelling of FMA where every character has a Spirit Animal. Major canon divergence. Please give it a go and R&R! I do not own FMA or it's characters. *Art by Procastinagoat* This story is now under review and each chap will be updated each Sunday. Off hiatus
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

 **Prologue**

 _No one knows the true origin of a Spirit Animal. No one knows where they come from or why. The earliest of history books have always mentioned them and there are numerous theories about how a Spirit Animal comes to be but no one knows for certain. All anyone knows is that when someone is between the ages of 10-13, they get their Spirit Animal. Of course, there are those who get them earlier or later in life but every single person gets a Spirit Animal at some stage._

 _A Spirit Animal is the physical manifestation of someone's soul. No one gets to choose the form their Animal takes and no one truly knows what their Animal will be until they get their Dream. For up to a week before their Animal appears, a human will have a reoccurring Dream that shows them the form of their Animal. The favoured theory for why this Dream occurs is that it is a warning so that the person can prepare for their Animal and so that they don't panic when they are approached by an animal like a tiger or snake that humans are hard-wired to fear._

 _As mentioned, the form the Animal takes depends on the kind of spirit their human has. A hardier spirit will have an Animal that suits it, just as a meeker spirit will have an Animal that suits it. However, if someone's spirit was to change for some reason – trauma, for example – the Animal can change forms to reflect that change. Should their human's spirit heal, the Animal will change back to their original form. Spirit Animals always appear fully grown and mature, though they cannot reproduce with the opposite gender of their species, whether it is a Spirit Animal as well or not._

 _Spirit Animals have no real need to eat or sleep as they survive off of a special energy contained inside their human. It is, however, common practise for an Animal to eat and sleep alongside their human and preserve the energy held by their human for emergency situations. The energy also helps the Animal survive in extreme environments. For example, a lizard in a snowy environment can rely on their special energy to keep them warm. However, Animals rely on that energy to survive and since their human is the one to hold it what this means is that the Animal will die if their human does. The opposite is not true, though. A human can survive without their Animal but because the pain of losing their Animal is so great, the human is likely to commit suicide._

 _During several studies conducted on the bond between humans and their Spirit Animal, scientists and alchemists alike discovered that humans and their Animals share physical pain. Though they share the pain, they do not share the physical wound. The human is able to use their Animal's special energy to heal the Animal of any wound they receive, providing their pool of energy is large enough. If the human overestimates the amount of energy they hold for their Animal, the Animal can die from it being used up._

 _By using the Animal's energy to heal them, the human sacrifices their own energy as well. The longer it takes for them to heal their Animal – something that directly correlates to how severe the Animal's injury is – the more exhausted the human will become. Because of this, most humans and Animals don't bother healing any injury this way unless the Animal's injury is more likely to result in death. Humans cannot, however, utilise their Animal's energy to heal themselves._

 _In extreme situations, an Animal is able to use their energy to shapeshift into a form more suitable for the situation. The Animals cannot maintain the form for an extended period of time as they risk using all of their energy, however – just as it does for the amount of healing an Animal can do – the length of the shift depends on how much energy the Animal has at its disposal. While in a shifted form, Animals cannot feel any pain their human is in, which is helpful for the Animal._

 _Something everyone is told as they grow up is that you must trust your Animal's instincts. Spirit Animals have the uncanny ability to sense if their human is about to put themselves in a dangerous situation or if someone who means their human harm approaches. There have been reports on humans being able to sense when their Animal is in danger throughout history however those reports are few and far between so those who have dedicated their careers to studying the bond cannot prove whether it's possible or not._

 _The bond between a Spirit Animal and a human also provides the pair with a link. This link offers the Animal and their human a few abilities. These abilities include telepathic communication. The strength of their telepathic ability depends on how closely bonded the pair are. A human who has just met their Animal may be only able to communicate through images or short messages whereas a human who has had their Animal for several years can hold full conversations. Another ability this link offers is sight-share. This means that once the sight-share is triggered, an Animal can look through their human's eyes and vice versa. The link also helps the Animal or human to find their missing bond-mate if they get separated from each other._

 _Because of how special Spirit Animals are, there are many laws that apply to them. The important ones are as follows:_

 _\- You must never injure yours or another's Spirit Animal on purpose_

 _\- You must never kidnap or take hostage another's Spirit Animal_

 _\- You are never to take a Spirit Animals life_

 _\- Fighting amongst Spirit Animals is forbidden, as is encouraging the fights. The only exception is if the fighting is in self-defence_

 _\- Spirit Animals are given the same rights as humans. They are permitted in hospitals, all shops and stores and anywhere else their human may go. The only exception to this rule is if their human is undergoing surgery as the Animal is not sterile and the infection risk to their human is too high_

 _Breaking any of these rules will result in fitting punishment._

 _The justice system takes the guilty party's Spirit Animals into consideration during the sentencing. Those who have been found guilty of a crime will be forcefully separated from their Animal for the duration of their prison term. The Animal is locked in a sizeable cage where they are provided the basic necessities but are left alone for the most part until their human's release. Although numerous protests have been held throughout history regarding the treatment of a criminal's Spirit Animal, the punishment has not changed. In fact, the threat of a forced separation has deterred numerous would-be criminals from breaking the law._

* * *

"Dinner!" The call from their mother had Edward and Alphonse Elric slamming one of the only non-alchemic texts their father had left behind shut and scramble to their feet.

At the ages of 5 and 6, both boys were old enough to realise that every adult they'd seen always had one animal following them everywhere and that there was something special about said animal. Upon asking their mother, Trisha Elric, they soon learned all about Spirit Animals from her. She explained that her Spirit Animal was her sapphire blue-eyed, black-tipped ragdoll cat, Cleo, and – when Alphonse had asked – was told that their absent father's Animal was a large, black stallion. They also learned that Granny Pinako's Animal was her faithful border collie, Den. When asked why they and Winry didn't have a Spirit Animal, Trisha explained that they were too young for their Animal and would need to wait.

However, as much information as Trisha had, it wasn't enough for the two knowledge-hungry boys and they soon started going through their father's study and the tiny library in Resembool for any book that mentioned Spirit Animals and devoured them. They spent their days reading the books, with Ed sometimes reading the tomes for Al, then discussing what they'd read and what they'd already learned.

"Thanks for dinner!" The two boys chorused as they took their seats at the table, looking eagerly at the stew they could see sitting on the stovetop. Cleo rubbed up against their legs as she made her way to her spot as Trisha placed the dinner bowls on the table.

"You're welcome, my precious boys," Trisha said, smiling sweetly at them as she served Cleo before taking her own seat.

She smiled gently as she listened to her sons eagerly debate about what their Animals would be in between bites of stew. Ed was of the opinion that he would have something fierce, like a lion or a bear, while Alphonse was hoping for a cat like their mum since he adored Cleo as if she was his Animal. They wondered what kind of names their Animal would have but Trisha gently reminded them that they wouldn't get to name the Animal. They would be told their Animal's name when their Animal decided to initiate the link between them.

Dessert was served once their dinner plates were cleared. The moment his mum turned her back, Ed gave Cleo his glass of milk, much to the ragdoll's delight, and Ed gave his mother his best innocent smile when she turned around and eyed his empty glass with a raised eyebrow. Once dessert was done, the boys were sent upstairs for their baths before Trisha tucked them into bed with hopes for sweet dreams. She gave them a loving smile before she turned off their bedroom light and closed the door.

Trisha headed back to the kitchen to deal with the dirty dishes left from the meal. She reached into her apron pocket and pulled out the little alchemic horse Ed had gifted her with earlier and placed it on the kitchen windowsill with a fond chuckle before she got stuck into the washing up. Her mind wandered to her boys, as it normally did, and how quickly they were growing in front of her very eyes. They'd only recently discovered their ability to perform alchemy and both of them were already transmuting arrays far more complicated than she had expected. They obviously took after their father in that aspect and she couldn't be prouder of them.

Her mood dampened as she thought of Hohenheim and she soon found herself looking out at the darkened horizon outside her kitchen window. She felt Cleo rub up affectionately against her leg before the cat jumped up on the kitchen bench and bumped her cheek against Trisha's shoulder before they shared a sad look. Cleo had sensed it long before Trisha started feeling the symptoms. These days Trisha was only feeling her disease in the way she grew tired a little quicker and how foods with too strong a taste had started making her nauseous but she knew she would be lucky to keep it from the boys much longer.

Trisha was dying. She sighed a little as she rinsed a plate and placed it in the drying rack. She hadn't told anyone, not wanting to risk someone telling her boys. Though she'd known before he'd left, she had kept the truth of her health from their father. She didn't want to be that selfish that she would use her disease to manipulate Van into staying here when he had things he needed to do away from them. Burying such sad thoughts, Trisha gave Cleo a light smile before she got back to her nightly chores. There was no point in worrying about something that likely wouldn't pass for a while yet and causing herself and Cleo pain before it was due. There would be time enough for that later and she still had two boys who needed her until that point. Besides, she was certain that when the time came and she was no longer here for the boys, their father would come back to look after them.

 **A/N - So, I read through 'Spirit Animals' after I finished the last chapter of 'Welcome to Amestris, Agents' and decided to revise the current chapters so I could get back into the flow of this story and continue writing chap 26 and work on more chapters and hopefully get this story finished. To give myself some time to get the chapters written, I'll be updating each revised chapter every Sunday after the new chapter for 'Welcome to Amestris, Agents' is posted. I would absolutely love to know what everyone thinks to the new chapters!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Despite her hopes, Trisha never got to see Van before she passed away from the disease that had slowly eaten away at her. Although she'd known about her disease for years, it had progressed so suddenly in the last few months of her life that she never got the opportunity to prepare her sons for the inevitable. Instead, she woke up in her room one afternoon and learned that Edward and Alphonse had found her passed out on the kitchen floor when they'd come back from an afternoon exploring the outdoors. It was then that she'd told Ed and Al about what was happening and tried to use her time left in this world to make sure Ed was fully prepared to look after Al until their father returned to them. Cleo spent most of her time sleeping next to Trisha, refusing to move from her position on the pillow unless Granny Pinako needed her too.

The few weeks Cleo had told her she had left flashed by for Trisha and the boys and far too soon, Ed and Al found themselves sitting in front of Trisha and Cleo's headstone. Ed was filled with grief and anger at their father. The last thing Trisha had told him was that their father would be back before they knew it but Ed knew the truth. He and Al had been, unknowingly to Trisha, sending letters to every single person in Hohenheim's address book, begging their father to come home and help make Trisha's passing kinder for her but they never got a response back and Ed knew they'd never see their father again.

Alphonse, on the other hand, still held onto the same hope that their father would return their mother had held onto so strongly in those last few weeks and Ed _hated_ how obvious it was. As they sat and waited for their father to come home in front of their mum's headstone, Ed only felt that anger slowly overcome his grief over his mother the longer they waited there. As he silently fumed, Ed started going over alchemic recipes he and Alphonse had uncovered in their father's journals, trying to remember if there was a way they could get the only parent they had who'd ever loved them when he recalled one that was promising. So, when Alphonse complained about being cold and hungry as the sun started to set, Ed told him not to worry. He had an idea that could help them bring their mum and Cleo back.

* * *

Six months after the day of Trisha's funeral, Edward and Alphonse were on a train bound for Dublith and neither were able to contain their excitement. They'd met one of the strongest and scariest alchemists they'd ever come across, Izumi Curtis, and begged her to be their alchemy teacher. It hadn't taken them long to figure out that her Spirit Animal, a Black Bear named Koda, was highly appropriate for her as Izumi was as fierce, strong and brave as a bear. She stood her ground and refused to let people trod over her.

Her husband, Sig, was one of those people whose Animal was one that you would never have guessed. He looked like someone who could crush your head in between their hands and like a person you would never want to meet down a dark alley but he had the sweetest Golden Retriever, Suna, as his Animal. Until the boys had seen Sig with a sick or enraged Izumi, they had no clue why he had such a dopey, loving dog as an Animal. The Curtis' owned a butcher shop in Dublith where Sig put his skills as a butcher to use while Izumi was content with being a housewife and formidable alchemist.

Neither boy had been especially impressed to find out that they had to spend a month on an uninhabited island by themselves and decipher a riddle before Izumi would actually take them on as students. They'd watched in disbelief and fear as the boat that had brought them to the island sped away with Izumi on board, leaving them with only each other and their wits to help them survive for the month. The possibilities of being eaten alive, falling off a cliff or dying in some other horrible way were swirling in the brothers' head as the boat disappeared from sight and neither so much as twitched from their spots for the next hour as they tried to comprehend what they were about to go through.

* * *

The last thing on either brothers mind while they were struggling to survive the wildlife and environment for the month was their future Spirit Animal. In fact, the only thing on their minds – other than survival – was the riddle Izumi had demanded they figure out: 'all is one and one is all'. So when a half-starved and severely frustrated 9 year old Edward started dreaming of an animal, he dismissed it, even when he continued to have the same dream. After all, he was only 9 and it wasn't the first time he'd dreamt of an animal for a couple of days only for the dream to not happen the next night and for his excitement to be destroyed. However, once he'd had the same dream four nights in a row, he started to slowly believe it was the Dream. Only after the seventh night though, did he tell Alphonse about it.

"Really, Brother?! That's great! How long have you dreamt about it? What animal is it?" Ed had to chuckle at his youngest brother's excitement. Anyone would think Alphonse was the one who had been Dreaming of his Animal rather than Edward. He held his hands up in a calming gesture, hoping to get Al to stop bouncing around for a moment so he could answer the questions he was asked.

"I think I've dreamt about it for a week now but it's hard to tell since the days seem to merge together," Ed said, voice a little hollow as he remembered they still had to figure out that stupid riddle. "I didn't tell you just in case I was wrong and it was another round of false dreams. I didn't want to get my hopes up and tell you only to be let down," Ed pointed out rationally, purposely not answering his youngest brother's last question. Al had cried every time he'd figured out their dreams had been just that; dreams. Al had noticed Ed's avoidance at his last question and wasn't about to be ignored.

"What Animal did you dream of?" Al asked, whining a little. Ed laughed at his brother's childish behaviour, grateful that Al was acting his age, even if it was only for a moment.

"I'm not telling you." Seeing his brother open his mouth to argue, he added "Trust me, you won't mistake it for one of the animals here." Sensing that his older brother wasn't about to let up, Al decided to drop it but only for the moment.

He knew Ed didn't want to tell him because then it'd make it real and would only hurt more if it wasn't. But that didn't stop him from hoping that it was real. His brother needed this. So, he changed topics and got Ed to start brainstorming the answer to Teacher's riddle to distract him. They felt so close to an answer but decided to take a break when Al pointed out that it was nearly dark and they still needed to gather firewood and hunt for their dinner. They moved out together, checking their traps and collecting firewood as they went. They were lucky tonight and had caught three big rabbits and some sort of bird that looked nice and fat. Ed made short work of them and carried their carcasses back to their camp while Al struggled under the weight of all the wood they'd gathered.

"No way." Al heard his brother breath a moment before he walked into him, Ed having stopped short of their fire pit. Al let out a curse as he tried and failed at keeping his armful of wood in his arms. He was about to berate Ed when he saw what had caused his older brother to literally stop in his tracks.

The most beautiful wolf either of them had ever seen sat in the centre of their rather pitiful camp. Her white fur almost glowed in the growing darkness and she stared at the two of them as they stood there stunned with eerie eyes that seemed to pierce their very being. When Ed started moving forward in a trance-like state, Al found himself reaching forward instinctively to stop him before his mind caught up to his actions and he stopped himself. After all, there was only one reason there would be an Arctic Wolf on this island that wasn't making any moves to attack either of them and that was because this wolf _was_ his brother's Spirit Animal.

Al watched with bated breath as Ed cautiously reached a hand forward and almost gasped when the wolf ducked its head under his hand and initiated the bond between the two of them. The moment Ed buried his hand in the wolf's fur, Al really did gasp – even dropping his armload of firewood – because something he'd never heard of happened. Both his older brother and the wolf glowed silver, lighting up the dark campsite so much Al could've mistaken it for daytime for a moment before the silver died out. Al saw that Ed's eyes were as wide as Al's probably were, which told Al that he hadn't forgotten about this phenomenon, and he withdrew his hand from atop the wolf's head. Al rushed over to his brother, almost tripping over the discarded firewood in his haste, stopping only when he'd reached Ed's side. He hadn't given the wolf any thought until he was right there in front of it and couldn't stop himself from glancing at it with a little bit of fear.

"Brother! Are you alright?!" Al cried, seizing the hand Ed had touched the wolf with and examining it before giving the rest of Ed a complete once over. "What happened?" There were no visible wounds that Al could see but neither brother could even hazard a guess about why Ed and the wolf had glowed. Said wolf was sitting next to Ed pleasantly and didn't look either injured or concerned about the glow.

"I'm alright, Al, I swear. The only thing that happened was I got startled," Ed soothed his fussing brother the moment his own heartbeat slowed down to an acceptable rate. The wolf looked up at him, a patient gaze in its eyes as Ed felt a grin stretch slowly across his face. "Al! I got my Spirit Animal! She's here!" Ed exclaimed, grabbing Al's arms and jumping up and down in uncontrollable excitement. Soon Al's expression was matching his own as Ed's excitement rubbed off on him. "Look at her! Isn't she the most beautiful Animal you've ever seen?!" Ed gushed as he let go of Al and knelt in front of the wolf, _his wolf_ , and started running his hands through her fur. He noticed absently that his hands trembling slightly but he ignored that in order to focus on how soft his wolf's fur was. The wolf was leaning into his touch, eyes closed and tongue almost lolling out of her mouth as she drunk in all the attention Ed was lavishing on her.

"She's lovely, Ed. She really is. You're so lucky! You got your Spirit Animal and you're only 9!" Al exclaimed, hardly believing that his brother seriously had his Animal. He knew he'd wake up in the morning and flip because there's a giant wolf in their camp before he remembers what happened. "What's her name?" Al asked, a little demandingly and pouted a little when Ed laughed.

"I don't know. She hasn't told me yet. You remember mum telling us it can take a couple of days for your Animal to complete the bond by telling you their name. Mum told us that Cleo didn't tell her what her name was for nearly a week, remember?" Ed said and Al barely managed to shove his feelings of grief over their mum and the jealousy he felt as he watched Ed interacting with his Animal. Al reminded himself that his Animal would appear when he was ready and felt himself smiling as he watched Ed gushing over the wolf. He could already tell the two of them would be as close as Cleo and their mum was, if not closer. "Anyways, we can talk more about my wolf after we get this fire up and running and dinner cooking. I'll leave one of the rabbits for her to eat," Ed declared as he shoved Al in the direction of their semi-forgotten dinner, the wolf padding silently behind them.

Ed couldn't make heads or tails of his emotions as he and Al picked up the firewood and the rabbits and bird that had fallen prey to their traps. He couldn't believe his Animal had appeared; the moment he had waited for had finally come! He was half-convinced that this was an extremely lucid dream and he would wake up with only Al for company on this desolate island. The other half of him was absolutely elated that she was finally here, that his dreams was, in fact, the Dream every kid longed for and wasn't the universe screwing with him again. Though he knew Al had been wanting his Animal as much as he had, he never could explain to his younger brother just how stronger the want for his Animal had grown since their mother's passing.

Ed had heard from numerous adults about how they'd never even realised how incomplete they'd been until they'd met their Animal and had the hole they didn't know they had filled. There was something indescribable about how it felt to have a creature who would love you unconditionally, who wouldn't judge you and would always be there for you no matter what happened in your life. It was a little scary knowing that he would have someone he couldn't hide _anything_ from. His wolf would know every single thing about him; the good, the bad and the questionable but the fact that she would still be there for him helped soothe his fear of abandonment

He'd never admitted it out loud but ever since his mother and Cleo had passed away, Ed had been acting as mother, father and brother to Alphonse and the pressure had slowly been killing him. Granny Pinako and Winry helped him with Al and remind him they were both still children but he'd mostly only had himself to rely on up until now. He loved Al and would never give him up or begrudge him anything but he just wanted to have someone whose sole concern was for him and he despised himself for that feeling. But now he had his Animal, someone who would be there just for him and help him with everything and he would never feel like it was him against the world again.

"Hey, Ed?" Al's voice interrupted Ed's musing and the older blonde realised he'd been sitting in his usual dinner spot. He hadn't even noticed himself walking over there and the smell of roasting meat had him looking over to the crackling campfire, where he saw the rabbits and bird slowly being roasted. He flushed as he realised he'd spaced out enough that Al had had to do everything himself so they wouldn't waste the animals Ed had skinned and gutted for their dinner. The feeling of his fingers tangled in soft fur had him looking down to see his wolf asleep next to his feet.

"Sorry, Al," Ed apologised sheepishly. "Is something wrong?" He asked, looking around to see if he could figure out what was causing the slightly confused look on Al's face.

"I don't know if something's _wrong_ , per say, but I noticed while you were spacing out," Al gave him a teasing grin that had Ed grinning back guiltily, "that your wolf's fur and eye colour looks like they've changed. Unless I'm just imaging things," Al said and Ed's brows furrowed in confusion. "Her fur was pure white and her eyes were brown when we first saw her, right? Because her eyes match yours and her fur looks like its tinged with gold now." Ed frowned as he recalled his first look at his wolf before nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, they were. Wait," Ed said as Al's words sunk in, "did you say they've changed?" Ed asked and Al rolled his eyes before gesturing to his wolf, obviously telling him to look for himself so Ed did and found that his brother was absolutely right. If Ed wasn't mistaken, his wolf's eyes were now the same shade as his own and her fur would've matched his own hair if it weren't for the fact that the first inch of her fur was still pure white.

"Have you ever heard of an Animal changing their colouring like that before, Brother?" Al asked and Ed shook his head, both in answer to Al's question and in disbelief.

"I've never heard of it happening before. I mean," Ed said, going into ranting mode, "I've heard of Animals who have shared similar personality traits with their humans and similar colouring. You know as well as I do that Granny's hair used to be the same colour as Den's fur when she was younger but I have never heard or read about an Animal whose _entire_ colouring changed like hers did!" Ed exclaimed. He hated not knowing the answers to a mystery and lacking the ability to find those answers out. He saw his wolf was looking at him with amusement and he found himself sticking his tongue out at her.

"Maybe that silver light had something to do with it?" Al suggested, mulling over everything he'd read and heard but coming up with nothing. "Maybe Mrs. Curtis might know," Al offered when Ed's mouth twisted as he couldn't give an answer.

Ed pondered the idea and concluded that if anyone knew the answer, it would be her. Their – hopefully – soon-to-be teacher was the single most powerful and knowledgeable alchemist the two boys had ever met. Granted, the pool of alchemists they could compare her to consisted of each other and their father and they only had the stories their mother had told them about Hohenheim's alchemy to compare too since neither remembered actually seeing his alchemy in action. However, Izumi's method of performing alchemy with no circle was something neither boy had ever seen, read or heard of.

"It's possible she might. She's our best chance for an answer, unless my Animal decides to talk to me before the month's up and knows the answer. You can ask Mrs. Curtis if that doesn't happen, 'kay?" Ed decided, nodding enthusiastically.

"Hey! Why do I have to ask her?" Al's voice rose a few octaves.

"You want to know!" Ed pointed out.

"It's your wolf!" Said wolf growled at Al, who quickly corrected himself. " _She's_ your wolf!"

"I'm honestly good with living without that knowledge if it means not being beaten up by that crazy woman!" Ed informed him. "What if it's something really common that both of us should probably know and we ask her?"

"Considering this is a new development for both of us, if we asked her than she'd probably not beat us up. Especially if we flatter her somehow while asking," Al rationally pointed out and Ed had to concede that point.

"It doesn't matter anyway. We won't get to ask her _anything_ if we don't solve that damned riddle," Ed grumbled, refusing to admit Al had won. The smug look on Al's face told Ed that his younger brother knew he'd won anyway. "Have you had anymore-" Ed suddenly stopped in the middle of what he was asking when he'd heard a foreign voice.

" _Ayala,"_ the soft-spoken voice resonated through his mind, causing Ed to jolt violently enough that he nearly fell off the log that had been serving as his seat. He could hear Al still but his brother sounded muffled, like Ed was under water.

" _Who are you?"_ Ed demanded as he shook his head, trying to clear his head of the intruding voice. Though he was certain he'd never heard the voice before, it was somehow as comforting and familiar as his mother's. For his efforts, Ed was rewarded with a lilting chuckle.

 _"I would be the wolf next to your feet. My name is Ayala,"_ the voice explained and Ed found himself gaping at the gold-tinged wolf sitting next to him and was rewarded with the same lilting laughter as before.

"ED!" Al's shout of his name got through to the older Elric that time and Ed jumped in surprise.

"Ayala," was all Ed managed to gasp out as he tried to get over the two most recent shocks of the night. "Ayala," Ed repeated, voice stronger this time and he managed to drag his gaze away from his wolf – Ayala, he had to remind himself – so he could meet Alphonse's worried eyes.

"I-what?" Al asked, thrown by his brother's response.

"Her name," he said, as he gestured to his wolf. "is Ayala." Al's confused face was priceless.

"Really? She told you already?" Al asked excitedly. Being told your Animal's name after only a couple of hours was rare. Most animals waited at least a day.

"Yeah, she told me." Ed looked ecstatic and Al couldn't help but grin with equal enthusiasm. However, Al thought he could sense something amiss with Ed's mood.

"What's wrong?" Al asked, frowning a little in concern but Ed waved it off.

"Nothing. Just another thing I might have to ask Mrs. Curtis about," Ed said with a light chuckle. "Don't worry about it. Let's just have dinner and go to sleep. Maybe we'll have figured out that stupid riddle in the morning," Ed scowled as he remembered they _still_ hadn't puzzled out that riddle yet.

He gave Al a reassuring smile as he pulled the cooked meat off the fire before serving it up. Ayala got an entire cooked rabbit to herself and Ed made sure to throw the bones that remained far enough away from their camp that they wouldn't have to worry about foxes or the like coming too close. Though, he snorted internally, they wouldn't have to worry about that with Ayala around anyway. The affirmative growl in his head had him grinning madly again because it reminded him that he had his Animal and he felt another wave of excitement rush through him.

Once he'd disposed of the bones, he and Ayala joined Al around the fire for another hour or so as they tried to puzzle out the riddle before Al decided they should call it a night. Ed reluctantly agreed so they doused the fire and curled up on their leaf mattress. To both their surprise, Ayala made herself quite at home in between the two of them, allowing Al to take advantage of her body heat as well. It took Ed a little bit to convince Al that Ayala wasn't going to bite him if he touched her but they soon managed to fall asleep all curled up together.

 **A/N - here's the revised chapter 2! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and I'll see you next week when I post chapter 3!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

When Izumi and Sig arrived back at the island, they were expecting to find two semi-traumatised boys. There was the slightest chance there would only be one surviving boy waiting or that the Curtis' might have to go searching for the two of them or their remains. What they were _not_ expecting, however, were two excited boys and a wolf waiting for them in the same spot the boys had been dropped off a month earlier.

She ignored the wolf for the moment, though she could tell Suna was questioning Sig since she could hear her husband whispering back to his Animal, and demanded to answer to the riddle. Once the boys had given her the correct answer, she then ordered them to explain the golden wolf. When an answer wasn't immediately forthcoming, she smacked the oldest boy up behind the head and repeated her request for information.

This time, Ed was quick to explain and Izumi listened with an impatient expression. The wolf – Ayala, as Izumi soon learned – sat patiently at Ed's side as Ed and Al both stammered through their versions of what had happened during their month on the island. When Ed finished speaking, Izumi gave the boys and wolf an assessing look before nodding sharply once and congratulating Ed on getting his Animal at such an early age. The elder Elric looked very suspicious about the praise, which Izumi was pleased about, until it turned to excitement when Izumi informed them that she would accept them as her students. She kept the uncaring air about her but she almost cracked a smile when Sig gave Ed a congratulatory hug that caused the young boy to yelp in surprise and probably a bit of pain.

Since she'd accepted them as students, she spent the boat ride back to civilisation informing them about what she would train them in, how their training would go and what she expected from them as her students. They would be taught alchemy, survivalism and combat training that varied from weapons to hand-to-hand. She informed them that they would train six days out of the week, where the seventh day would be for reading theory, relaxing and catching up on their chores. Izumi told them once they were finally at the Curtis' home that the remainder of the day was for both boys to familiarise themselves with her house and to show her how proficient they were in alchemy so far.

* * *

For the first few days of their training, Ed struggled far more than Al when it came to the combat portion of Izumi's tutelage because of his bond with Ayala. Because his previous fighting experience consisted solely of wrestling with Alphonse and some other boys back in Resembool when they'd been younger, Ed was getting his arse constantly handed to him by their teacher which was causing Ayala sympathy pain. Because of this, Edward's guilt was through the roof and he'd started considering not continuing with the training but Ayala put a stop to that thought by reminding him that the sympathy pain didn't last long and that the more effort he put into training, the quicker he would learn and the less he'd get hurt.

With Ayala's support, Ed stayed on as a student and slowly but surely, he was soon giving as good as he got. While he may not have landed many injury-inducing hits against their teacher, he was no longer spending his nights feeling like one massive bruise. Between him and Al, their bouts against Izumi were now starting to end in draws more often than defeat and their alchemic knowledge was expanding rapidly to the point where even Izumi was impressed with how quickly they were picking everything up, though she never said it out loud to them. Two months into their training, Ed and Ayala were pulled aside by Izumi for a private chat.

"I'll be training you separately from Alphonse –" Izumi started saying but found herself interrupted by Edward.

"Why? Is he doing something wrong? I can work with him on our day off to help him get better," Ed offered, panic in his voice since he hadn't noticed Al lacking in any area. He wasn't as good as Ed was at alchemy but that was only a narrow margin. He certainly made up for it in their combat training, managing to beat Ed every time.

"Don't interrupt me, boy," Izumi snarled as she cuffed his ear. "As I was saying, I'll be training you separately because you and Ayala need to learn to fight together. Three times a week, you and Ayala will train against me and Koda. During the time you two are with us, Alphonse will work on his alchemy so he can improve." Izumi's face made it clear to Ed what would happen if Al didn't show improvement during that time. "The two of you need to learn to work effectively as a team so that if you ever find yourselves in a position where you need to fight, you don't end up getting in each other's way and getting yourselves killed. You can pass these lessons on to your brother once his Animal appears, assuming you haven't gotten yourselves killed and are out of my house by then. We'll start tomorrow," Izumi informed him, turning to walk away from them but Ed stopped her by grabbing her arm.

Ed snatched his arm back before Izumi could snap it off and rushed into his reason for touching her, hoping it would save his life. "I was hoping to ask you some questions about Ayala and Spirit Animals in general," he explained before she could snap at him. She raised a brow for him to continue, making certain her lack of patience was evident. "What happened when you first met Koda?"

"When I met Koda, we initiated our bond by touch. I'm sure that you gave Ayala a pat as soon as you saw her, yes?" Ed nodded and Izumi gestured in a 'there you go' motion. "That's what happened with Koda and I. Two days after Koda first appeared, he told me his name, thus completing our bond." Izumi paused for a moment, letting him process that before narrowing her eyes. "You should know this already. I imagine your mother and other adults would've explained this to you and your brother when you were younger."

"She did, though Cleo took longer to warm up to her than Koda did for you," Ed said with a sad smile. Izumi didn't comment, letting him have the moment he needed to pull himself together, which he did so he continued. "So, nothing happened when you touched Koda? There wasn't a glow or any changes in Koda's appearance?" Ed queried cautiously and Izumi knew they were starting to get to what Ed really wanted to know about.

"Is that all you want to ask?" Izumi knew the answer so she wasn't surprised when Ed shook his head. "Then finish asking!" She snapped at him, causing him and Ayala to shrink back slightly.

"Okay! The other thing I wanted to know about was the telepathic side of the bond!" Ed exclaimed, speaking rapidly. Izumi crossed her arms and waited for him to continue, just to make sure that was everything he wanted to know. When he didn't say anything – just looked really nervous – after a few moments, Izumi spoke.

"To answer your first question; I've never heard about, read about or witnessed any glowing or physical changes to either party during the initiation of the bond. The way an Animal looks when it first appears to their human is the way it'll look until it passes away," Izumi told him, eyes flicking to Ayala's gold fur and eyes. She hadn't asked the wolf's human about her appearance – a gold wolf was not something you see every day – as she'd wanted Ed to approach her about it as it was obvious the boy had wanted to ask about something since she and Sig had brought the brothers and Ayala back from the island.

"The answer to your second question varies from bonded pair to bonded pair," Izumi went on to say before Ed could interrupt. "As a general rule, a freshly bonded pair can speak with images or short messages. The telepathic bond strengthens over time. Koda and I can carry entire conversations between ourselves now whereas we struggled to say more than three or four sentences to each other at a time during our first few weeks as a bonded pair. Something that never seems to be inhibited by the strength of a bond is the Spirit Animal's ability to send impressions," Izumi told him.

"'Impressions'?" Ed asked, face screwing up in confusion. He looked to Ayala for an answer but Izumi beat the wolf to it.

"Yes, an Animal can impress its feelings onto their human. If you're in a situation they don't like, for example, they can impress their feelings of danger or fear onto you to encourage you to leave. An example would be when Koda and I first visited the beach after he appeared. He impressed on me his love for the water but hate for the sand," Izumi explained and Ed's face cleared into one of understanding. "Now, why have you wasted my time asking me about things you had already undoubtedly asked the entirety of the Animal-bonded population in Resembool about?" Ed cowered under her piercing glare.

"When Ayala first appeared on the island and we initiated our bond, we both kinda glowed silver for a few seconds and when the glow disappeared, Ayala had gold fur and eyes when she'd had white fur and brown eyes before," Ed explained quickly. "We can also speak to each other as long as we want. We haven't found our limit yet, actually, for that or for sight-sharing." Ed peeped through his fringe, risking a glance to try gauge Izumi's reaction and found himself as stunned as his teacher looked. "Uh, Teacher? You alright?"

"Of course I am," Izumi snapped on reflex. "I've never heard of that happening before and the only conclusion I can think of is that your bond is exceedingly strong. Far stronger than any bond I've ever seen, especially in a bond as young as yours. We'll test just how strong it is during our training," Izumi said decisively, putting a stop to any further discussion. "Now, come on. We need to find your brother and get started on your alchemy lesson," Izumi said before she started striding away, forcing Ed and Ayala to try and keep up.

Ed and Izumi's private lessons began in earnest the next day while Alphonse worked on improving his alchemy under the watchful eye of Sig and Suna, whose job it was to alert Ayala and Koda if something happened. When both wolf and human appeared after their first in one piece and far less bruised than Al had feared, the younger Elric questioned why. Ed explained that their teacher spent most of the lesson teaching him more about the bond and what they should expect when they started training. Though he knew most of this from books or the week he, Al and Ayala spent on the island before Izumi came back for them, he and Ayala did learn new information.

Their next lesson two days later was nowhere near as painless as the first lesson had been. Ed and Ayala suffered twice as much thanks to their bond forcing their pain on each other when they got injured. Unlike the first few days of Ed's training, the two didn't consider asking for the lessons to stop. Instead, they used the pain as a motivator to improve their skills and after a long, painful four months, Ayala and Ed could hold their own against Koda and Izumi. While they still couldn't take Koda and Izumi down, they were still proud of the fact that 70% of the time, their matches ended in a draw.

The team training also helped Ed improve his own combat skills. That said, he was still annoyed that he and Al couldn't win against their teacher, though he knew that that was a combination of Izumi having the upper hand from her years of experience and Ed and Al not being as in sync with each other as Ed and Ayala were. Ed was even more annoyed when his improvement wasn't enough for him to best Al in any of their sparring matches, though his irritation was soothed when Al pointed out that Ed could whoop his butt in alchemy any day of the week. Ayala just thought Ed should focus on the fact that he was improving, not on how many wins he got and rolled her eyes every time she felt him dwelling on it.

* * *

22 months after Trisha Elric's passing, Edward and Alphonse – now 11 and 9 respectively – were now on their way back to Resembool with Ayala watching the scenery from her window seat. After nearly two years under Izumi Curtis' intense and rigorous tutelage, they'd started missing the familiar sights and smells of Resembool as well as their only remaining family, Granny Pinako and Winry. Izumi had been satisfied with how their training had progressed under her watch and had given them permission to head home, confident that they likely wouldn't get themselves killed doing something idiotic.

The morning they were due to leave, they were surprised to be joined by Sig, Suna, Izumi and Koda for the walk to the train station. After some discussion, the boys decided to take a train from Dublith to Central before switching trains at Central to catch a direct train to Resembool so they wouldn't be laid over in East City. They bought their tickets, double-checked them then boarded the train and found their seats. Ayala got first choice and decided on the window seat while Ed sat next to her and Al sat opposite the golden wolf. Izumi, Sig and their Animals stood on the platform next to their window where Izumi spent the next few minutes threatening them with violence and death if they didn't stick to their training schedules religiously or if Izumi got word of them doing something stupid with their alchemy that resulted in injuries. The train whistle blew, signalling their impending departure, as both boys promised Izumi they wouldn't.

As the train started pulling away from the station, Ed and Al waved their teacher, her husband and their Animals goodbye until they couldn't see them anymore before letting themselves melt into the train bench in relief, relishing the fact that no one would smack them upside the head for it. After a few hours, the boys got bored of their card games, books and the constant travel and soon Ed found himself curling up on Ayala as she curled herself around him. Al wondered off to the train car that sold food and drinks and came back with some snacks only to be greeted by the sight of his brother and wolf asleep so he put their share of food aside while he ate his own and opened another book.

* * *

Ed and Ayala woke up only half an hour later, Ed unable to sleep very long thanks to the movements and noise of the train and Ayala because Ed was waking up. Al handed over their food and drinks, which Ed thanked him for on behalf of them both as he accepted them and gave Ayala her share. Alphonse waited for them to finish eating and for Ed to come back from disposing of their rubbish to voice something he'd been thinking about since they got on the train.

"Hey, Brother?" Ed made a noise to show he was listening as he took his seat and opened his own book. "When we get back, when do you want to, you know?" Al asked nervously, keeping his voice low so that no one would overhear them.

"I think we should wait a couple of months. Maybe even until after your birthday," Ed told him. "We still don't have the recipe and until we have that, we won't know what ingredients we need or how difficult they'll be to get. I know one of the books in the study has the recipe but I don't know which one and we really should read through them all in case some of the others contain information about this array," Ed pointed out and Al nodded. "This is the one array that we need to know absolutely everything we can find out about it. We can't take any shortcuts on this one," Ed said, a pointed look at Al. His younger brother flushed as he recalled the minor array he'd caused a rebound with when the shortcut Al tried backfired and left him with no eyebrows. However, the flush soon disappeared into a serious expression.

"Are you sure we should go through with it? Teacher told us it was completely impossible," Al reminded him, shuddering as he recalled the memory of Izumi beating her lecture about why human transmutation should never be attempted into them the one time they'd dared ask her about it. The lecture had lasted for hours and both boys had felt it for days afterwards.

"I'll make you a deal, Al," Ed proposed. "When we get back home, we study every single book that bastard left behind. We get all of the information we can get our hands on and we study it until it's burned into our brains. If we both agree that we can do it, we go ahead. If not, we leave it alone and never try it, by ourselves or together, and we never talk about it again. Deal?"

Despite the fact that he was certain they could succeed with this array; Ed knew it would only be possible if they worked together. Though they were few and far between, Ed had found some stories about what happened to alchemists who'd attempted human transmutation and it never ended well. However, those alchemists had attempted that array by themselves which was why Ed knew he would need Al's help to bring their mum back. Having said that, Ed didn't want to force or guilt his brother into helping him if he didn't want to. Al's stubbornness was as strong as his own so if he wanted Al's help, his younger brother would have to agree on his own.

Al pondered over Ed's proposal for a few moments before giving Ed a sharp nod. "Alright, Brother. We only try if we both agree that we'll succeed," Al said and Ed gave him a smile.

* * *

They spent the next few hours discussing what Granny and Winry's reactions would be to them being home and to Ayala, whether anything might've changed in Resembool, whether they should see if they could stay at the Rockbells for the night before going home or whether they should just go home straight away. Eventually, they decided they'd wait and see what time it was when they got back to Resembool before deciding on that. They played another few card games and got the chance to stretch their legs in Central when the conductor announced they were about to arrive.

Because they needed to switch trains to get back to Resembool quicker, the boys checked with the station employees to see where their next train would leave from. Once they were certain of the departure time and station, the three went exploring. They'd rarely visited East City when their mum was still alive and they'd never seen Central so they took the offered opportunity to stretch their legs and look around before heading back to the station to board their train.

They made it back to the station on time and found their seats quick enough. They didn't have to wait long for the train to leave and soon they were chugging along. Eventually, Al got tired and decided to try and nap as best he could. Ed, having taken a nap earlier, wasn't tired so he spent his time mulling over their plans for the future. Ayala eventually broke through his thoughts.

" _I think you should heed your teacher's warnings. I get a really bad feeling whenever I imagine the two of you trying to activate that array,"_ Ayala said, her soft voice echoing slightly in Ed's head.

Despite its disarmingly soft tones, Ayala's voice never failed to grab his attention and demand all of it. Her voice never failed to calm him down from his strongest rages and make him listen to her or whoever was around him. She rarely yelled at him, never needing to since he normally listened, with the only notable exception being when he'd ignored her warning and almost toppled over a small cliff face. The only reason he hadn't was because Ayala had grabbed his jacket sleeve and pulled him back. He'd then copped a five-minute-long lecture that only stopped when Ed had wrapped his arms tightly around her neck and apologised profusely.

Sighing at the familiar argument, Ed looked at Ayala pleadingly. "Please don't start this again, Aya. You heard our deal. If one of us decides we shouldn't go through with it, we never will. We'll be fine," Ed said reassuringly and heard her grumbling in his head.

" _I still think this is a terrible idea,"_ Ayala muttered as she curled up slightly.

"Duly noted," Ed told her, leaning against her and closing his eyes. "I think I might try and get some sleep before we arrive. Do you need anything?" He asked her but she assured him she didn't. He squirmed further down the bench until he was lying flat with his head pillowed on Ayala's hindquarters. Ayala waited for him to settle before she twisted so her head was resting on Ed's stomach and she was facing the aisle, just in case of an opportunistic thief.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Ed opened his gummy eyes at Ayala's persistent nudging and mental prodding. His momentary panic was soothed by Ayala telling him they were close to Resembool. Ed sat up and rubbed his eyes while he cursed the uncomfortable train bench and stretched any kinks and knots out. A glance out the window told Ed they had a couple of hours until sunset and maybe three hours until complete darkness. Groaning, Ed stood up, letting Ayala hop off the bench as he did so, and poked his brother awake.

"We're nearly in Resembool. I'm gonna go to the loo," Ed told him. Al yawned and gave him a drowsy nod before getting up and following Ed towards the bathrooms, leaving Ayala to stand guard over their gear.

The conductor came over the public-announcement system to inform them they were approaching Resembool station just as the two boys got back to their seats. They spent the remaining travel time making sure they had all their gear together and waking themselves up a bit more. Ed was looking forward to being able to sleep in a little the next morning. The train's brakes started squealing as the conductor applied them and Ayala whined her dislike of it. When the train finally came to a complete stop, Ed, Al and Ayala made their way down to the car doors do they could escape as quickly as possible.

They found themselves held up for a couple of minutes when people at the station recognised them and enquired after their health and Ayala. Ed was congratulated quite a few times on getting his Animal but, thankfully, those in Resembool considered asking questions about someone's Spirit Animal to be rude unless the subject was brought up by the Animal's human. This meant that aside from the initial congrats, they were mainly left alone so they were able to get out of the station quickly and start making their way down the path that led to their home.

After a short discussion, the boys and Ayala came to the mutual agreement that they should head to Granny's first and let the Rockbell women know they were back. Neither of the boys wanted to deal with their empty childhood home right away and Ayala wasn't curious enough about it to argue. She knew why they didn't want to go there immediately and she'd see it soon enough.

The further up the road they travelled, the more excited the boys became until Alphonse especially was nearly vibrating in his attempt to contain his excitement. Ayala was grinning from the second-hand excitement she could feel from Edward when she suddenly picked up a scent and a foreboding feeling. She stopped dead in her tracks and sniffed the air, trying to figure out what was approaching. Before either boy could question her behaviour, her jaws closed over Ed's jacket sleeve and she pulled her human backwards and to the ground in one vicious yank.

Ed yelped as he was pulled to the ground and was about to question Ayala when something tackled Alphonse into the dirt. The figure was sobbing and – once Ed could decipher it – lecturing the boys about being useless at staying in contact and demanding to know why they hadn't sent her any letters. Having identified their attacker as their childhood friend, Winry, Ed pulled himself off the ground and wiped any dust off himself and got to work detangling Al from Winry long enough that his brother and friend could get to their feet. Once they were, Al enveloped Winry in a less violent hug and Ed turned to Ayala.

"How'd you know she was there? We never heard her," Ed asked curiously. Ayala preened slightly when she felt his awe at her reflexes.

" _I caught her scent and I was able to sense her intentions,"_ Ayala informed him proudly.

"'Her intentions'?" Ed repeated questioningly and Ayala nodded.

" _Yeah. As a Spirit Animal, I'm able to sense someone's intentions towards you. When I sensed her, I could tell that her plan was to tackle you to the ground, which could've resulted in bodily harm to you,"_ Ayala explained. The two were distracted when Winry was finally able to stop crying and focus entirely on lecturing her first victim, Alphonse. Edward was fairly certain he was actually being yelled at too but he wasn't paying attention to Winry and so far, she hadn't noticed.

"That's really cool but could you maybe give me a heads-up next time? I thought we were really in trouble!" Ed exclaimed before laughing when Ayala gave him a sheepish apology. Unfortunately, his laugh wasn't through the telepathic link so it caught Winry's attention and turned her rage fully onto him.

"AND YOU! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE THE OLDER BROTHER! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO'S SUPPOSED TO BE MORE RESPONSI- is that a wolf?" The comic change in Winry's tone almost had Ed and Al laughing at her but she didn't give them the chance. "Why do you have a wolf?"

"Winry, this is Ayala. Ayala, Winry," Ed introduced the two. "Ayala is my Spirit Animal. She appeared a few weeks after we left Resembool," Ed explained. Winry blinked owlishly at the two of them before –

"EDWARD ELRIC! YOU COULD'VE WRITREN ME A LETTER OR PICKED UP THE PHONE TO TELL ME YOU GOT YOUR SPIRIT ANIMAL!"

* * *

It took Winry nearly half an hour to run out of steam and stop her yelling in order to wrap her arms around Ed's neck and squeeze him tightly in a hug. She then led the boys and Ayala along the road and towards her home, interrogating Edward about everything she wanted to know as they walked. Winry had noticed almost immediately that Ayala's eyes matched Ed's exactly when she'd knelt in front of her to give Ayala a proper 'hello' and she knew enough about wolves to know that golden fur wasn't normal.

Rather than risk another 30-minute long lecture, Edward decided to save them all the time and just answer every question he was asked as best he could and dutifully relayed Ayala's answers when Winry asked her a question. When he explained why Ayala's eyes and fur were the colour they were, Winry was just as amazed as Izumi had been and offered her own theory about it.

"Obviously, it's because Ayala is special," Winry told them simply. "There's no way it's because of Ed."

"HEY!" Ed cried indignantly. "We already have our own working theory," Ed sniffed at her but Winry didn't seem to care. He elected to ignore Ayala's laughter ringing in his head. "Teacher believes it's because our bond is so much stronger than anyone else's. The only thing we don't know is why," Ed admitted. Despite all of their private lessons, Izumi and Ed hadn't come up with any explanation for the unique bond.

The rest of their walk devolved into friendly banter and teasing comments and Ed barely noticed as they turned up the Rockbells driveway. He certainly did notice when the house came into and the four of them decided to race each other up drive to see who got to surprise Granny about their arrival. However, much to their disappointment, Pinako was already waiting on her veranda with Den sitting next to her legs.

Once they were in view, Den loped down the stairs in order to greet his favourite boys and to introduce himself to Ayala properly. After Ed and Al said hello to Den, much to the collie's delight, they headed up the steps and greeted Granny. Winry shoved passed them with a quick hello to her grandmother so she could get a drink of water and Alphonse decided to join her while Ed and Pinako watched their Animals as they sized each other up. Though fights between Animals were rare, they weren't unheard of so there was always some nervousness when Animals introduced themselves. Only when Den and Ayala deemed each other acceptable did Granny say something more than a greeting.

"Let's go inside and talk over dinner. I've got some stew on the stove for you and your wolf."

 **A/N - Here's the revised chapter 3 for you guys! I hope you all enjoy it!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Let me see if I've got this right," Granny said the moment Ed and Alphonse caught her up on the last near-two years of their lives. "You were left on an uninhabited island for a month with no means to survive except your own wits and a riddle that you had to solve. During this month, Edward got his Spirit Animal and they have some kind of unique bond? Then you gave someone practically every single cent you had left to you names so they could spend the next 18-odd months beating you up, all in the name of alchemy and combat training?" Granny asked as she knocked her pipe on the table.

Once Pinako, Ed, Den and Ayala had entered the house, Granny had served up the stew she'd had cooking on the stove. Ed and Al's mouths immediately watered when the achingly familiar scent of their mother's stews filled their nostrils and they'd devoured as much of it as they could. After eating their own serving, Ayala and Den had retired next to their respective human, having exhausted themselves from acting suspicious of each other. Winry had wanted to look more closely at Ayala now that they weren't in the middle of a road but Ed had told her to just wait until another day. He'd used the long travel and the fact that Ayala hadn't seen Resembool before so was adjusting to the change of scenery as his excuses and Winry backed off. Ayala had thanked him profusely, not feeling up to be petted and cooed over like some common dog right now.

"Yeah, that pretty much sums it up," Ed said, nodding at what Pinako had said. He glared daggers at the glass of milk Winry had placed in front of him. His hatred of the drink hadn't lessened in his time away and even Izumi's beatings hadn't been enough to make him drink it. Al rolled his eyes at his brother as he sipped his own milk. "Hey, speaking of our bond, have you ever heard or seen something like it, Granny? Teacher hadn't but she has the theory that it just means we've got a ridiculously strong bond," Ed told her. Granny dragged on her pipe as she thought.

"No, nothing comes to mind. I have no idea why the two of you glowed silver or why Ayala's colouring changed when the bond was initiated. I know your mother's bond with Cleo wasn't abnormal but I'm not sure about Hohenheim's. We never spoke about his bonding process," Granny told him, not missing the way Ed's expression soured at the mention of his father but she didn't comment. She'd wasted enough breath over the years trying to get Edward on the road to forgiving his father but the boy was stubborn and nothing she, Trisha, Winry or Alphonse had done had convinced Ed to try and forgive Hohenheim. "Your teacher's guess is as good as mine," Granny went on saying, exhaling some smoke. "If she is right, that would mean that the amount of energy you hold for your Animal would be massive."

Ed felt his and Ayala's surprise. Neither had thought about that and Izumi had never mentioned, though that might've been because she'd assumed they would've made the connection themselves. The amount of energy a human held for their Animal directly correlated to how strong their bond with their Animal was. This meant that the pool of energy actually grew over the years as the bond between human and Animal strengthened.

"What do you think, Aya?" He decided to ask her since Animals were able to sense their energy level inside their human. It was how they were able to get their human to stop healing an injury before the energy ran out.

" _Since I can't sense another Animal's energy in their human, I don't know for certain but the energy you hold for me is massive. I could shift into something huge, like an elephant, and hold that form for hours without making a dent,"_ Ayala told him, not even opening her eyes from where she lay at his feet.

"Are you serious? I have that much in me?!" Ed exclaimed in shock. Ayala just hummed in confirmation before going back to her drowsing while Ed's attention was caught by the curious expressions on everyone else's faces. "Ayala says I have a massive amount of energy in me but she doesn't know why I do either," Ed explained.

Now that they were satisfied about Ed's statement, the others turned the conversation away from Ed and Ayala's bond to specific questions about what Ed and Al learned in Dublith. Halfway through a story Al was telling, Ed slipped Ayala his undrunk glass of milk but he wasn't quick enough to avoid Winry's eagle eyes and soon found himself being lectured. He snarked back and soon the lecture turned into full blown argument. Al, ever the peacekeeper, managed to talk them down before it could turn nasty and so he could finish his story. Ed didn't think the amount of amusement he could feel from Ayala was appropriate.

* * *

Laden with bags of groceries, leftover stew and other basic household items the Rockbell women had insisted they take with them when the boys had decided they should make use of the remaining daylight and head home. They'd barely been able to wave goodbye between their bags from Dublith and the bags the women had loaded them with but they managed and soon they were on their way home.

"Hey, Ed?" Al's quiet voice broke the silence that had permeated the air between the two of them.

"Yeah, Al?"

"How about we go see mum before we go home? Introduce her to Ayala and tell her about what we've been up to?" Al asked, voiced tinged with sadness and hopefulness.

Ed glanced at the sinking sun before he made his decision. "Alright, but we need to go home first. I'm not carrying this stuff to the cemetery and back," Ed said decisively. While he really did want to go see his mother's grave, he knew the visit would make the two of them sad and he didn't want to laden with all their gear on the walk home.

"Thanks, Brother," Al said, giving him a massive smile.

Both boys gave their childhood home a bittersweet smile when they laid eyes on it for the first time in nearly two years. As they approached the front door, Ed started digging around in his front pocket for their house key. A small plume of dust greeted them as Ed unlocked and swung the door open, the air caused by the door swinging open stirring up the settled dust. The boys placed their gear just inside the door and Ed shut it and locked it once more behind them as they joined Ayala, who had been waiting a couple of metres away.

* * *

As they drew closer to the cemetery, Edward's mood dropped and he almost jumped when he felt soft fur under one of his hands. Looking down, he realised Ayala was trying to offer him what comfort she could and he gave her a grateful smile as the cemetery came into view. The remaining walk didn't take long and soon enough, the three of them were settling in front of Trisha and Cleo's headstone and talking animatedly at it about what they'd been up too.

Ed and Al soon turned their retelling of the past two years into a competition of who could tell the most embarrassing stories and moments about the other they could. Ayala huffed in amusement at some and was helpful enough to remind Ed of a few of Al's more memorable moments as she lay there with her head in Ed's lap and listened to them. They slowly ran out of stories and Ed noted they were running out of daylight so he decided to address the one thing they'd glossed over at the start.

"Hey, mum. You won't believe this but my Animal finally showed up. We found each other on that island Teacher trapped us on. Her name's Ayala and she's a wolf. There are no words to describe how happy I am she's here. Al still hasn't gotten his yet but I have a feeling it won't be too long. I wish you could meet her, mum. I think you'd like her." Al had been sitting quietly as Ed spoke but when he heard Ed's wavering tone, he wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"I'm know mum's really proud of you and I'd bet that she would love Ayala," Al said as Ed struggled to keep himself from crying. He'd promised himself he wouldn't because if he did then Al would and Ayala would start fussing over them.

"Thanks, little brother," he said as he gave Al a watery smile. He didn't know how Al managed it but he always knew what to say to help Edward cheer up. "Come on, we better head home. It's getting really dark now."

Al looked around properly for the first time and took in the setting sun. They'd be lucky to get another hour of sunlight and they still had a whole house to clean. Standing up, the boys said their goodbyes and promised they'd try and find some flowers to bring for her on their next visit. Ayala pressed her forehead against the stone in her own goodbye before she started trotting to the edge of the graveyard to catch up with her human and his brother.

* * *

Once again, Ed unlocked their front door but this time both boys stepped over the threshold and into their home. Ed flicked the switches next to the door to light the entryway and hallway and were pleasantly surprised to see there wasn't an awful lot of dust on everything. Evidently, Granny and/or Winry had paid their home a visit to clean everything in the last few weeks. Despite this, they still had some cleaning to do so the house was back up to their mother's standard. So, once they'd checked the fridge was still working and sorted out the food stuff the Rockbells had given them, they stuck into the actual cleaning.

Fortunately for them, Ed had developed an array months ago that drew moisture from the air and mixed it with the dust and dirt in a set area. He then used another array that drew the thin layer of mud into a compact ball that he could then throw outside or into the bin. Ayala followed them through the rooms they'd been through, cleaned and repaired to make sure they were good enough for her. Even with Al utilising the moisture array, cleaning the whole house took nearly an hour, as they had to change the stale sheets on their beds and repair several small things. Once done, they then had to unpack their belongings and check that the water was still working in the bathroom. When they'd finally gotten the chance to sit down, both boys felt the exhaustion that came from using so much alchemic energy in such a small amount of time. After all, water manipulation was no easy feat.

Having finished her thorough exploration of the house and deeming it suitable for her, Ayala joined the boys where they'd collapsed in their spots at the kitchen table. She sat at Ed's feet and looked up at him expectantly, though it took her pawing at his knee for him to realise she was doing that.

"What's up, Aya?" Ed asked tiredly and Ayala winced in sympathy.

" _Do we have anything to eat? You two need to replenish your energy and I'm hungry,"_ Ayala asked and Ed grimaced at the idea of moving. He mentally went over what Granny had given them, because Ayala was right and they did need to replace the energy they used and remembered the stew she'd packed for them.

"Yeah, we have some leftover stew. I'll stick it on the stove to warm up," Ed said, heaving himself to his feet and going about to do just that.

Digging through the fridge, he grabbed the container of leftover stew and poured it into a saucepan that Al handed him with a tired smile. Thanking his brother before shooing him back to the table, Ed lit the stove and set the saucepan over the flame. Ayala waited patiently next to Ed as he sat back down for the duration of time it took for dinner to reheat. Her patience won out when Ed got up twenty minutes later and served them all dinner.

"So what's the plan, brother?" Al asked as he relaxed back in his chair, tummy full to bursting point now they'd finished the serving of stew. Ed looked equally as relaxed, slumping slightly in his chair while Ayala lay sprawled on the floor and fought to pay attention to their conversation rather than slip into the food coma she wanted to.

"Well, tomorrow we need to check the outside of the house to see if there's anything that needs repairing. I reckon the roof will have a couple of leaks and we need to get them fixed before we get a storm," Ed told him, groaning a little as he sat up. "After that, I thought I might take Ayala for a walk around to some of our old hiding and playing spots so that she can get used to the area. You're welcome to come with us if you want or you can head back to Granny's and see if we can celebrate your birthday with them," he said before continuing. "We also need to go to town and get some supplies because what Granny and Winry gave us won't last us for long but we can do that the day after tomorrow. At some point, we'll need to start researching so maybe once we've finished in town, we come back here and go through the bastard's study?" Ed suggested and Al hummed in thought.

"I think I'll go to Winry's tomorrow to ask about my birthday but other than that, I think it's a good idea. Also, you really should stop calling him that. He's still our father," Al said imploringly but Ed was having none of it.

"Fathers don't leave their families with no good reason and they certainly don't stay away from their kids after their mother dies! That _bastard_ ," Ed emphasised the title with a deadly glare, "doesn't deserve to be called our father!" Ed spat, his golden eyes sparking with hate. The anger he felt was so intense that it broke Ayala out of her food-induced stupor and caused her to whine in distress. "Sorry, Aya," Ed whispered to her, reaching down to ruffle her ears in apology.

"I know you hate him, Ed, but I don't! I just miss him," Al said sadly. "He'll come back; I know he will! He's our dad. He loves us," Al pleaded, eyes watering a little. Ed just shook his head and stood, pushing his chair a little harshly out of his way.

"Believe whatever you want, Al," Ed said, voice shaking in the effort it was taking him not to snap again. "It's been two years since mum passed and longer since we started sending those damned letters out. Mum spent even longer than that, holding onto the same damned hope and look how well that worked out for her," Ed said, tone hopelessly sad. He didn't give Al a chance to say anything; he just left the kitchen and headed for his bedroom, Ayala padding silently behind him.

* * *

Al stayed seated in his spot at their kitchen table as he struggled to stop the tears that had formed from falling. He'd almost forgotten about the letters he and Ed had posted in a desperate ploy to get their father home in time to see their mum before she passed. The pain he'd felt every time they checked the mailbox only for there to be no reply from Hohenheim flared momentarily and Al almost choked on a sob. It wasn't like he didn't know why Edward was always so angry every time their father was mentioned. He'd only made the mistake of pushing Ed to his limit with questions about their father once.

" _A TURNED BACK AND PACKED SUITCASE! THAT'S ALL I REMEMBER ABOUT THAT GOOD FOR NOTHING BASTARD, OKAY?!"_ The anger in Ed's raised voice and eyes had been burned into Al's memory and he'd scared Alphonse so much that the younger boy had avoided Ed for the entire day. Since that moment, Al had done his best to keep his questions to a minimum and avoid the subject of their absent father whenever possible so he would never cause an outburst like that again. Though Edward had eventually apologised to him for yelling and the incident was all but forgotten by the elder Elric, it stuck in Al's mind vividly. Sighing, Al finally pulled himself together enough to stand from the table. He cleared the table and washed the dirty dishes before he strode out of the kitchen. He had an older brother to find and apologise to.

Al found Ed upstairs and curled up on his old bed with Ayala wrapped warmly around him. Ayala perked her ears up when Al approached but otherwise didn't react to his intrusion to her human's room. She didn't even flinch when Al sat on the edge of Ed's bed, causing the mattress to dip and his brother slide minutely towards him. After a moment of no one moving, Al lay on his back so he was face-to-face with his brother.

"I'm sorry, Ed. I didn't mean to upset you," Alphonse whispered in the darkness. Ed shifted slightly before sighed.

"It's okay, Al. I'm sorry for getting upset. I just don't like thinking about him and I don't want to see you get as sad as mum was when she thought we weren't looking," Ed said just as softly, voice tinged with sadness. Al turned onto his side so he could wrap an arm around Ed's shoulder, although it was tight squeeze with Ayala lying right there.

"I promise I won't bring him up again," Al said, grateful Ed wasn't as angry with him as he feared. "Hey, brother?" He asked after a couple of moments of silence.

"Yeah, Al?" Ed answered, eyes flicking open at his brother's nervous voice.

"Can I stay in here with you? Just for tonight?" Ed frowned at his brother. He didn't understand why the younger blonde was nervous. He knew Ed didn't mind.

"Course you can." Al smiled and rearranged himself so he was under the blankets, though not without kneeing poor Ayala a couple times. She got up with a snarl and moved herself down to the foot of the bed and glared at Al.

"Sorry, Ayala." She huffed as she went back to sleep but Ed knew she didn't really mind if the fondness he felt through their link was anything to go by. It didn't take the two boys long to settle into comfortable positions and fall asleep.

* * *

The next two weeks flew by for the brothers. They'd made sure to pay Granny and Winry plenty of visits to discourage Winry turning up unexpectedly and disrupt their study time. They'd set a day for a supply run into town each week and they'd fixed anything that needed it on the house with alchemy. Because it was so old, neither brother was surprised when they discovered their fridge had carked it but Ed used an old array he'd found in one of their father's journal to make the fridge work without electricity.

Ed and Ayala made it a habit to go exploring for at least an hour every afternoon, even after she'd grown familiar with the area. The two boys continued their sparring routines with each other, having a match nearly everyday while Ed and Ayala did their best to keep up with the specialised training Teacher had given them, though it was much more difficult since they didn't have another bonded pair to act as opponents. The alchemy side of their training was much easier to keep up with, thanks to the dozens of books their father had left behind in the study. Although their original aim had been to scan each book and discard the ones that didn't mention human transmutation, they ended up reading through them much more carefully because the knowledge contained in them was too tempting to pass up.

Soon enough, they were spending as much time as possible in the study, devouring book after book as they chased the knowledge each one contained. Ayala was always there with Ed and even though she found the study a bit tedious to start with, she still joined them in reading and discussing the theory. She may have been a wolf but she was Ed's wolf for a reason. Slowly but surely, the two boys started gathering information about the array they wanted to know everything about.

* * *

Three weeks after they returned to Resembool, Al flew into Ed's room and pounced on top of his sleeping brother, scaring the boy and wolf so badly that Ayala almost bit Alphonse.

"Alphonse Elric! What the fuck?! Ayala could've bitten you!" Ed shouted as he sat up and glared at his brother where he was sprawled on the floor. "You know you shouldn't scare her awake. For that matter, you know you shouldn't scare _me_ awake so you better have a damned good reason." There were plenty of more effective and safer ways to get him and Ayala out of their bed. Scaring them was the dumbest and most dangerous way Al could've gone about doing that.

"Sorry, Brother but I was just so excited! I couldn't wait to tell you!" Alphonse didn't look overly apologetic but Ed was prepared to let it slide when he saw the excitement plastered all over his brother's face. Rubbing his hand over his face in an attempt to wake himself up a bit, Edward looked at his brother expectantly.

"It had better be good or I'll let Ayala bite you for real," Ed threatened. Al gulped. Both boys had been nipped by Ayala when she was displeased with their actions. "The sun's barely up!" Ed whined before Al could answer.

"It is, I promise!" Al swore. Ed flourished his hand to tell Alphonse to get on with it. "Well, the first part is 'cuz it's my birthday and we get to go over to Granny's to celebrate it."

"I know that. The second part?" While Ed was happy that his brother was excited for his birthday since neither had really celebrated it after their mother passed, though Izumi and Sig had tried to give them nice birthdays while they were under Izumi's roof, Ed wasn't happy about the early wake up call.

"Well, I don't know if it's real or just another false dream but for the last four nights, I've dreamt about the same animal!" Al blurted out, trying really hard not to grin.

Like Ed had done, Alphonse had found himself having what he thought was the Dream only to find himself heartbroken and disappointed when they turned out to be false. This time though, Al was certain it wasn't another false dream and was really the Dream he'd been hoping for. He'd woken up this morning with the feeling and he couldn't keep it to himself any longer, hence why he'd risked Ayala's wrath. If the grin on his brother's face meant what he thought it did, Al might avoid Ayala's teeth still.

"That's awesome, Al! You've never had the same animal dream four times in a row! Maybe this really is the Dream!" Ed exclaimed, just as excited for his brother and Al had been for him when Ed had finally told him about having the Dream on the island. He and Ayala had seen the jealous looks Al had given them when his younger brother had thought they wouldn't see. Ed knew Al hadn't meant anything by them and he could admit to himself that if their situations had been reversed, Ed would be acting in the same manner.

Ayala watched the scene unfold in front of her and found herself in something of a situation. She was exceedingly happy for her human's brother. Alphonse was a very sweet person and she knew how badly he yearned for his own Animal. As a Spirit Animal, she had the ability to be able to sense when human close to hers would get their Animal but not until the day before the Animal's arrival. This instinct was primarily so the Animal wouldn't be taken by surprise and defend their human when there was no need.

"Ayala says she can tell me whether your Animal really will appear the day before it's due so I can tell you, if you'd like?" Ed offered when Ayala gave him the message to pass on.

"Thanks Ayala, but right now I just want to wait and see," Al said, grateful for the offer but he didn't want to ruin the surprise. Plus, Ed didn't have an Animal tell him when Ayala was gonna turn up and Ed had dealt with the suspense alright. "And before you ask, Brother, I'm not telling you what Animal it'll be."

"That's mean, little brother," Ed chided. "By the way, Ayala says you're welcome and that the offer will continue to stand if you change your mind later," Ed passed along before he swung his legs out of bed and stood. "Since we're now up, we might as well get some breakfast." The enthusiasm he received from his statement made Ed laugh as he kicked Al out of his room, claiming to need to get changed while Ayala raced down to the kitchen so she'd be ready for breakfast. Ed shook his head at her antics as he closed the door.

* * *

After spending the day trying to wheedle out what kind of animal Alphonse had been dreaming about to no avail, the boys and Ayala raced each other to Granny's house, eager to celebrated Al's birthday with their last remaining family. Al had been so excited to be celebrating his birthday with his family that he hadn't allowed his nerves about the fact he could be getting his Animal in a few short days overcome that excitement.

Granny and Winry had greeted Alphonse with birthday wishes and Den had given the birthday boy some kisses, much to Al's displeasure. The Rockbell women had gone all out for Al's 10th birthday celebrations and made him a special apple pie, using the freshest apples they'd been able to get their hands on. After dessert, they'd presented Al with the birthday gifts they'd gotten for him and he tore into them with child-like delight.

Winry had given Al a journal that was covered in cats (which Al squealed over) and Ed had given his little brother a set of books on different fighting techniques. Winry had scoffed but Al was delighted. He'd been growing bored with the repetitiveness of his and Ed's fighting routines and reveled in the fact that he'd get the chance to switch things up.

The rest of night passed with them playing card games that Ed tried to cheat his way through and Winry clobbering him when she caught at it. After a laughter-filled few hours, the boys and Ayala ended up crashing in Granny's spare bedroom because it was too late for them to try and walk home safely, even though Ayala used Ed to promise both women that she'd get them home in one piece. Ayala had been miffed that her assurances were ignored and had given Winry and Pinako the cold shoulder until Winry had apologised and complimented her enough to win back some affection.

* * *

The next morning, Ed and Ayala were pleased to find themselves waking up without a human throwing themselves on top of them. Alphonse was just as excited as he had been yesterday as Ed and Ayala discovered when they looked over at him. He'd had the same dream, further proof it was the Dream. The two got themselves ready for the day ahead and left the room clean and tidy before they joined the Rockbells for breakfast, Ayala eagerly leading the way to the kitchen.

* * *

Unfortunately, the combination of having the dream for the sixth time and sleeping in their own beds proved too much for Alphonse's restraint and he woke Edward and Ayala up once more by leaping on their sleeping forms. Edward gave him no sympathy as he cleaned the skin Ayala had broken when Alphonse had startled them awake. Alphonse spend the ordeal alternating between wincing at the alcohol stinging the wound and apologising to an extremely irate Ayala.

To further prove his regret over waking them, Alphonse cooked breakfast and gave Ayala and Ed more than their fair share of the bacon. Ed grinned and gave Al a couple of his rashers to make Alphonse's pitiful looking plate look a little better. Though he'd managed to contain his nerves and excitement well enough during the start of breakfast, Alphonse couldn't maintain that control for long and it didn't take him long to start babbling about his Animal and whether it would be happy here.

Edward found his brother's behaviour thoroughly amusing and he was exceptionally impressed when the nervous energy didn't dissipate in the slightest throughout the whole morning. Ed found it less amusing when Al nearly ripped a page out of the book he was reading during their study session so he sent his baby brother outside with orders to put the techniques in the books Ed had given him for his birthday to the test in a bid for Al to get rid of some of that energy. When Ed and Ayala emerged from the study for lunch, Al had calmed down significantly and had even prepared them lunch. Alphonse declined their offer for him to join the two of them on their afternoon walk in order to keep going through his new books and to prepare for his Animal.

" _You know, it'll be really good for him to get his Animal tomorrow,"_ Ayala stated as she and Ed walked through a wooded area near their house. Ed hummed in agreement and didn't comment on the fact that she'd confirmed Al would be getting his Animal definitely the next day. _"He can stop worrying about when he'll get it and feeling guilty about being so jealous of you because you have me,"_ she pointed out and Ed grinned wryly at that.

"You noticed, huh?" Ayala response was a flat look that didn't need a translation. "You know he doesn't mean it, right? I mean, I'd be the same way if I was in his position."

" _I know, Ed. Thankfully, that will stop tomorrow. He'll be too busy focusing on his Animal,"_ Ayala said as she leaped over a fallen log and waited for Ed to clamber over it himself.

"Yeah, that'll be good for him. So, he's definitely getting it tomorrow?" Ed asked.

 _"Yup. Do you wanna know what it is?"_ Ayala offered even though she knew his answer.

"Nah. Best to let it be a surprise, like he wants." Ed felt Ayala's approval run through him, which he answered with a grin.

* * *

Two hours later and an almost fall on Ed's part, the pair called it a day and headed back home. They reached the house just as the sun started sinking so Ed started thinking about what he should cook them up for dinner. Even if Alphonse hadn't cooked both breakfast and lunch, Ed knew he would be next to useless in the kitchen. As Ed walked through the door and spotted Al's pale face, Ed decided on an easy dinner of toasted sandwiches.

"What's wrong?" Ed asked after watching his brother eating his dinner almost mechanically and not move when Ed declared bedtime.

"I'm so worried, brother," Al answered meekly. Ed pulled his chair around so he could sit next to Al and placed an encouraging and comforting hand on his shoulder. "What if my Animal doesn't like me? What is this is just another false dream and it doesn't turn up at all?" Al was crying now and Ed used the hand on his shoulder to draw his brother into a hug before he tried to soothe him enough that Ed would be heard over Al's sobs. Those sobs grew in intensity when Ayala placed her head on Al's knee to offer him some comfort of her own. When Al eventually calmed down enough, Ed started talking.

"You're an idiot." Al made an insulted noise but Ed continued. "You are. There's no way your Animal isn't going to like you, you know that. And you've had that dream for the last six nights. The false dreams have never lasted longer than three nights for either of us. You probably have a feeling in your gut that's telling you that this is finally happening, right?" Al gave a nod. "I had the same feeling for the last two days before Ayala turned up and I have a feeling that your Animal will be here tomorrow, okay? So stop crying and get to bed. You don't want your Animal seeing you half-dead for your first meeting, right?" He said as he stood up, extending a hand for his brother to grab. Al chuckled and wiped his face before accepting Eds hand.

"You're right, brother. I'm sorry I got so worked up," Al said as he watched Ayala bound up the stairs.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure plenty of other people went through the same thing." Ed smiled reassuringly. "Now, go to sleep and so help me if you wake us up by jumping on us again," Ed warned, pointing a threatening finger at his brother. Al laughed and promised he wouldn't before he gave Ayala and Ed another hug each and went into his room, closing the door softly behind him.

* * *

Ed got himself ready for bed and once he was settled, he was joined by Ayala. However, sleep seemed to be eluding him that and he finally gave up after a few minutes and asked Ayala what was on his mind. "It's not possible, right?" Ed whispered and Ayala cracked an eye open.

 _"What's not?"_ She asked, yawning widely.

"That his Animal might not like him." Ayala could hear the worry in his voice.

 _"Of course it's not,"_ Ayala said. _"Although, I wasn't too impressed when I first saw you,"_ she teased.

"HEY!" came Ed's indignant whispered shout that had Ayala laughing.

 _"I'm only kidding,"_ Ayala laughed then laughed harder at his pout. _"No, there's no need to worry. Al's Animal will love him,"_ she consoled him when she finally managed to calm down.

"Good. Al deserves an Animal who loves him as much as he'll love his Animal," Ed said and Ayala hummed in agreement. "Goodnight, Aya."

" _Goodnight, Edward."_

 **A/N - revised chapter 4 is up for you guys! See you next week!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Al had taken Ed's warning from the previous night to heart and didn't wake Ayala or Ed by jumping on them the next morning. However, Al was devious and took advantage of a loophole Ed had overlooked. He couldn't wake the two up by throwing himself bodily on them but there was nothing stopping him from throwing Ed's door open violently as he squealed in uncontainable delight and nerves, which is exactly what he did.

At the sound of the door slamming into the wall, Ed and Ayala were awake and in defensive positions in record time. In the time it took for the two to register there was no immediate threat, Al had the thought that their teacher would be very proud of their response. However, judging from the expressions on his brother and Ayala's faces, they weren't thinking the same thing as Al. There was a heartbeat of time where Ed and Ayala just stared at Alphonse before Ed twitched in his direction and Al took off running. Ed and Ayala were nice and waited two full seconds before they tore after him.

Although he got a head start, Alphonse soon found himself begging for mercy as Ed tried to merge his face with the kitchen floorboards. Ayala made her displeasure known by using her body weight to stop Al from using his legs to dislodge his brother. He finally managed to bargain for his life and offered to make pancakes for breakfast if he was allowed to live. Ed and Ayala graciously accepted his bribe and let him up so he could start making good on his promise.

Half an hour later, Ed was polishing off the last of his pancakes while Ayala was licking the maple syrup residue still on her bowl off. Even though he hadn't eaten much the night before, Al didn't eat as much as Ed had and Ed had noticed. As he chewed on the last of his pancakes, Ed leaned back in his chair and watched the way Al half-heartedly push some pancake around on his plate before stabbing it onto his fork and nibbling slowly at it. Ed could hazard a guess at what was causing Al's lack of appetite so, once he finished his mouthful, he decided to see if he was right.

"Al, stressing about when your Animal will turn will do nothing except make you sick and annoy me." Al's guilty look showed he'd hit the nail on the head.

"I know, Brother, but I can't help it," Al said sheepishly and Ed gave him an understanding look.

"Look, like I said, stressing isn't helping you at all. Your Animal will turn up today so stop worrying about that. Ayala has assured me that you and it will get along just as well as we do so you've no need to worry there. Stressing over the exact time it turns up is only going to make you crazy which means you'll drive me crazy and that'll make me hit you," Ed told him and Al found himself nodding in agreement. "The best solution is to just keep busy, distract yourself until it turns up. So let's go get some more research done. We can leave the front door open in case it turns up while we're in the study, okay?" Al's grateful smile shone on his face.

"You're right, Brother. Let's go keep me busy!" Al said with renewed enthusiasm as he leapt from the table and dragged Ed with him to the study, ignoring Edward's surprised curses. Ayala lifted her head to watch the scene unfold in front of her and let out an amused huff as she went back to her post-breakfast nap. Ed mentally cursed her as he managed to pry himself from his brother's iron grip.

"I'm gonna get changed first. You can do the same, little brother. We are expecting Winry over sometime today, remember?" Ed said in response to Al's questioning look which, to Ed's immense amusement, soon turned into one of embarrassment, complete with the deep red flush.

Cackling madly as he watched Alphonse make his mad dash to his room, Edward followed suit. He made his way up the stairs to the upper level of the house with Ayala's soft laughter at Alphonse's reaction ringing in his head. Once he'd gotten changed into day clothes, Ed made his way back downstairs where he found Alphonse waiting for him and soon enough, they were in the study and immersing themselves in the books spread in front of them.

* * *

Just as their stomachs started grumbling – signalling it was close to midday – the two boys, now joined by Ayala, were starting to think about making themselves some lunch. Absolutely none of them, not even the wolf, noticed as an increasingly irate Winry stood in the doorway of their study with her hands on her hips, an annoyed scowl on her face as she glared at them.

"OI!" She shouted, effectively getting all of their attention. "IT'S RUDE TO IGNORE YOUR GUESTS!"

"For fuck's sake! That's the second time today!" Ed swore as he rubbed his knee where he's banged it against the floor. Winry quirked an eyebrow but Ed ignored her. Typical.

"We're sorry, Winry. We were so caught up in the books we didn't hear you," Al apologised as he stood up. Also typical was the fact that Ed didn't offer anything except a gruff 'sorry' after his brother pointedly glared at him.

"Whatever. I'm surprised you two aren't half dead from forgetting to eat," she huffed at them.

"Well, we do stop reading for important things like eating," Ed said with a straight face.

"Are you saying I'm not important?!" Winry screeched at him. Even Ayala cowered slightly. As usual, Al ran interference.

"No, he didn't mean it like that, Win. You know he didn't. Brother thinks you're very important," Al assured her as Edward rolled his eyes. After a not-so-subtle elbow from his brother, Ed acquiesced.

"I didn't mean it, Win. You're my favourite gearhead." Winry narrowed her eyes at the usual insult but that would probably be the nicest thing Edward would ever say about her so she accepted his apology.

"Whatever," she sniffed dismissively. "Do you lot want the lunch I brought for you or not?" She asked before walking away, leaving the two boys and the wolf to scramble behind her.

She made it to the kitchen before they did and got set to work reheating the leftovers from hers and Granny's dinner last night for them. She struggled to hide a grin when she glanced at the table and saw the three of them waiting patiently at the table. Once the meal of chicken and veggies had been heated up to the perfect temperature – according to Winry – she served them all and herself a portion before she sat at the table, making sure not to sit in Trisha's chair since she knew the boys wouldn't be happy about that and dug in.

They chattered about nonsensical things throughout the meal, with Ed speaking for both himself and Ayala as usual. Ed didn't bring up the fact that Al was expecting his Animal sometime today and – to his surprise – neither did Alphonse. Because he couldn't ask why while Winry was there, Ed had to constantly bite his tongue every time he found himself about to ask. After an hour or so, Winry bade them goodbye since she and Granny were expecting patients that afternoon and set off back to her home. Al and Ed waved her goodbye from the door and Al fully expected to see Edward and Ayala head out next but, to his surprise, both of them headed back into the house.

"Aren't you going for your walk, Brother?" Al queried and Ed looked at him like he was an idiot.

"Of course not," he scoffed at him. "You think I want to come home and find yourself pacing a hole in our kitchen from your nervous energy? No, thank you," Ed told him. "Besides, you got to see me and Aya bond. I'm not missing seeing you bond with your Animal," Ed informed him, leaving no room for argument. Al's jaw almost hit the floor as he realised he'd forgotten completely about the fact that his Animal was turning up sometime today.

"I think your distraction technique worked a little too well, Brother," Al said, slightly ashamed of the fact that he'd forgotten something as life changing as that.

"That was the whole point, Al," Ed reminded him with an added eyeroll. "I'm assuming that's why you didn't mention it to Winry?" Ed asked and Al nodded, causing Ed to chuckle. "Alright, well you can tell her later. For now, how about we head outside and spar?" He suggested, trying to put as much enthusiasm into his voice as he could muster but Al didn't look overly convinced. "You can put those new techniques to test against someone," Ed told him and _that_ got the younger Elric motivated enough to get him out the door. Ed shook his head as he and Ayala followed Al's babbling about the techniques he'd read about to their usual sparring spot.

* * *

Her spot under the large, shady tree in the backyard offered Ayala a good vantage point to keep an eye on their immediate surroundings and the two boys while giving her a pleasant place to nap in the afternoon sun. Because of her bond with Edward, she could sense the moment Alphonse's Animal would appear rapidly approaching. This was an ability only Animals whose humans had close family and friends were afforded. Because Spirit Animals can talk to one another, Ayala made sure to keep her senses open so she would be able to greet the newcomer. This was her way of making sure Alphonse's intended Animal knew she was there and that she wasn't a danger. The other reason she wanted to locate Al's Animal as soon as possible was so she could warn Ed. After all, some people do panic when, for example, a lion comes running at them out of nowhere.

Ayala dozed for half an hour, making sure to keep some of her focus on trying to find Al's Animal as she lay in the dappled shade of the tree. Both boys were down the slope, laughing and taunting as they tried out the techniques Al had learned from his books. When she finally felt the Animal approaching, she was surprised when they initiated contact with her. She acknowledged it and told the newcomer what kind of animal she was but she neglected to pass along the message that Ed and Al were only sparring, not fighting.

This meant that when Al's Animal first laid eyes on his human, all he saw was Al being attacked and his Animal instincts overtook everything else. Sensing the danger to Ed, Ayala launched herself down the hill and towards Ed, racing as fast as she could. She slid to a stop in front of Edward, who'd jumped away from Al when he sensed her approach, and bared her teeth in vicious snarl as she let loose the most threatening growl she could muster at the Animal who'd come to a stop in front of Alphonse.

The Animal in front of Alphonse was arched up at Ayala, spitting and hissing at her as it bared its teeth in its own snarl. It took Alphonse and Edward several moments to realise that Al's Animal had even appeared but, in their defence, they were trying to figure out what exactly had just happened. Before either boy could try and do anything to prevent to two Animals in front of them trying to tear each other's throats out, the Animals went silent. Al's Animal – some kind of spotted leopard, if the brothers weren't mistaken – moved so it was now sitting next to Al, not quite touching him, with the only part of it moving being its twitching tail. Ayala sat right up against Edward and appeared well-behaved, except for the feral snarl that graced her muzzle every time the leopard twitched its tail.

"Ayala, would you like to explain what the fuck just happened?" Edward asked, still a little dazed. After all, it's not every day your spar match is interrupted by a leopard trying to eat you. Ayala's ear twitched but other than that, she gave no other sign of having heard him. He felt a flicker of irritation at being ignored and when he checked, he was surprised to see her glaring at the new Animal with a ferocity that beat his angriest glare out of the water.

He went to demand an answer from his wolf when Alphonse caught his attention. He turned to watch as his baby brother knelt in front of the leopard, whose whole attention was now on Alphonse, and hovered his hand a few centimeters away from the dappled head of the big cat. Ed held his breath as Al visibly exhaled and closed the gap between him and his Animal, initiating the bond between the two of them. Though it had been something he and Ayala hadn't expected, Ed was a little disappointed there was no glow or visible change in the leopard to accompany their bond. The fact that nothing out of the ordinary happened caused the familiar thirst to want to find out about the glow and changes in Ayala flare in Ed momentarily.

Despite the lack of glow, Alphonse had a massive smile on his face and his eyes watered as he turned to glance at Ed before his attention went right back to his Animal. Both Ed and Ayala felt immense amounts of joy for Alphonse, even if Ayala was still ticked at the leopard for trying to eat her human. Feeling Ayala's irritation, Ed was reminded that his question still hadn't been answered so he turned away from Al, who was now petting his Animal reverently, and faced his own. However, he barely opened his mouth when he found himself crashing into the ground.

"LOOK, ED! I GOT MY ANIMAL!" Alphonse half-squealed, half-screeched in his ear, rendering Ed temporarily deaf. "ISN'T HE AMAZING?!" Al didn't give Ed the chance to comprehend what he'd had yelled at him before he was yanked off the ground and unceremoniously dragged towards the leopard who was watching the two brothers with intrigue, amusement and some suspicion, though Ed suspected that was aimed at him. Ayala saw it as well and let out a small snarl as she joined Ed.

"Hello, I'm Edward Elric, or Ed for short," Ed introduced himself to the leopard. "I'm Alphonse's older brother," he said before gesturing to Ayala. "That's my Animal, Ayala. I'm not entirely sure why you tried to attack me and she's," Ed glared at his wolf, "not telling me but I hope we can get along." Ed gave the leopard a smile, not wavering slightly, even though the leopard looked like he wanted to see what his flesh tasted like.

Ed was man enough to admit that if he hadn't been on the end of that particular look from Ayala a few times, he might've had the urge to run for the hills. As it was, the leopard seemed to be almost surprised when he didn't flinch and his expression turned into one of approval. Ed noted that during this whole event, Al's grin hadn't lessened in the slightest and Ed was a little worried his cheeks would start hurting. Once he felt like he wouldn't be attacked by the leopard for turning his back, Ed gave Ayala his attention.

"Now do you wanna explain what happened, Aya?" Edward asked. His tone, however, suggested it really wasn't up for debate and Ayala decided Ed should probably know.

" _Do you remember when I first met Winry? I didn't know it was her and I pulled you onto the ground because I thought she was trying to attack you?"_ Ayala asked and Ed nodded. It was a pretty unforgettable first meeting between Ayala and Winry. _"Well, Al's Animal hadn't initiated the bond with Alphonse when he first saw you so he had no idea who you were. Can you imagine what conclusion he immediately drew when he saw the two of you sparring?"_ Ayala didn't give him the chance to answer that. _"All he saw was his intended human apparently under attack and he did what came instinctively. He tried to protect his human by removing the perceived threat, which is exactly what I would've done in his situation. I sensed his intentions towards you and I intervened, that's all,"_ Ayala explained and Ed allowed him some time to see the situation from the leopards point of view.

"While I appreciate you trying to protect, we really need to come up with a code or something you can say before you tackle me to the ground or try to give me a heart attack!" Ed scolded, though he was grinning by the end of it. Ayala laughed at him and he retaliated by ruffling her fur a little rougher than he normally would, causing her to snap lightly at him.

Ed sat at the base of the slope Ayala had raced down in her rush to save him so he could watch his brother and leopard working each other out. Ayala decided to join him, letting him use her as a pillow. For a minute or so, they watched as the leopard circled Alphonse, who was seated cross-legged on the ground and watching his Animal in turn. Once the leopard had gotten his fill of walking around Alphonse, he sat directly in front of Alphonse and looked at him expectantly. Since Al hadn't been told the leopard's name, thus completing the bond, he couldn't speak to him telepathically so he had no clue what the big cat wanted. Al looked at Ed, obviously hoping his brother knew what the leopard was silently asking and Ed rolled his eyes. It was a little obvious what the spotted leopard was after.

"Maybe he wants to be shown around?" The approving look he got from the leopard told Ed he'd hit the nail on the head and Al almost facepalmed. "Aya and I'll just chill here while you show him the house," Ed told him nonchalantly, knowing Al would've invited him and Ayala along to be polite but wouldn't actually want them there.

"Thanks, Brother." Alphonse smiled at him before turning his attention to his Animal. "Do you wanna check out your new home?" The leopard made a chirping noise of agreement and soon both had disappeared into the house. Edward stretched himself out fully, still using Ayala as a pillow as she sprawled out above him. Neither said anything to each other but they didn't have too. They just let themselves enjoy the sunlight as they listened to Al's muffled voice coming from inside the house.

* * *

Ed woke up to Al nudging him in the side with his foot. Ed cracked one eye open to see what his brother wanted, only to discover there was only an hour of daylight left. He bolted upright and almost fell back down when all the blood rushed back to his head. Al, the traitor, just laughed at him. Ed glared at him, once his head stopped spinning. Ayala was no help and Al's leopard looked way too amused for his own good. Ed grumbled as he dusted himself off.

"What do you want, Alphonse?" Ed huffed. Al grinned at his attitude but he didn't comment on it.

"I was wondering if we could go show Winry and Granny my Animal today?" Al asked, looking hopeful. The leopard looked at Edward with a calculating look but Ed only sighed and scratched his head as he thought the request over.

"Not today, Alphonse," Ed said. "We've got barely any daylight yet and I really think you should wait until your bond's complete. How else will you be able to introduce him properly if you don't know his name?" Ed pointed out. He knew how excited Al was to show off his Animal as he'd felt the same way when Ayala turned up. The fact they'd still had a week on the uninhabited island before Izumi would come back for them helped dull that excitement.

"Oh, I didn't think of that," Al said, looking and sounding crestfallen. His Animal tried to cheer him up by rubbing up against him and it seemed to work a little.

"But I promise, the second he tells you his name, we'll head straight for Granny's, okay?" Edward swore, hoping that would lessen the sting of disappointment. It certainly seemed to work since Al's demeanour turned much brighter.

"Okay, Brother! Since it's nearly dark, can we have dinner now?" Al asked, happy with the compromise and Ed grinned.

"Yeah! Let's have a big dinner. To celebrate your Animal turning up!" Edward suggested enthusiastically. Al raised a knowing brow at his older brother.

"You'll use any excuse to have a big dinner, won't you?" Al said teasingly and Ed responded by sticking his tongue out at his little brother.

"Shut up, Al," Ed said, ignoring Al's scoffed 'mature'. "Let's go get dinner started!" He grinned as he moved to the house, Ayala bounding after him with just as much enthusiasm as her human. Al and his leopard followed the energetic pair, both shaking their heads at their antics.

* * *

They woke the next morning a little later than usual but Ed figured that was mainly because of the food comas they'd eaten themselves into the previous night. Ed almost groaned when he remembered that that meant they'd need to go shopping soon to restock on their food. Since Alphonse hadn't woken him and Ayala with squeals of excitement, Ed assumed the leopard hadn't completed their bond and he was proven right when he and Ayala finally made it downstairs and Al didn't mention anything.

Since his disappointment was evident, Ed decided to apply some tact to the situation and didn't mention anything about learning the leopard's name. Instead, he offered to take over the cooking duties since Al had cooked the previous two mornings. Al readily handed over the tongs he was holding and went to sit at the table as Ed kept an eye on the sausages Al had been cooking.

Once the food was ready, Ed almost served only himself, Al and Ayala out of habit but he caught the slip quickly and made sure the leopard got some breakfast. Al had noticed the almost-mistake and shook his head slightly. He watched in fascinated horror as Ed started scoffing down his food like it was his last meal. Ayala was making short work of her own breakfast and Al couldn't help but think Ed truly couldn't have been given a more suitable Animal. After all, the two of them had just clicked so seamlessly together that it Al had to remind himself that Ed didn't always have Ayala. But sure enough, Al's thoughts turned to how quickly Ayala had told Ed her name. it had taken all of three hours after their first meeting! So why hadn't his Animal told him his name yet?

"I can hear you overthinking about something from over here. I bet Winry can hear you from her place." Ed's voice broke through his musings. He looked up to see his brother watching him steadily.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Brother," Al denied reflexively. His lie wasn't convincing in the slightest, even to his own ears.

"You're asking yourself why your Animal hasn't told you his name yet, aren't you?" Al opened his mouth to deny it but Ed stopped him with a look. "There's no point in worrying about it. You'll make yourself crazy and your Animal too. Even with a half bond, he can still feel your emotions. Only he knows the right time to complete your bond. Every bond is unique, you know that," Edward said sternly, reminding him of a fact that he should've remembered himself. Al looked guiltily at his Animal. He hoped his leopard had realised that Al wasn't blaming him at all. Said big cat stretched languidly and curled up against his legs, showing him that he knew and that Al shouldn't blame himself either.

"You're right, Brother. I forgot about that," Al apologised but Ed waved it off.

"I know I am," Ed said dismissively as he placed his plate near the sink. "Come on, we gotta go study some more. I think we're really getting close to a breakthrough. It won't be long before we can get mum back!" Ed's conviction almost outweighed his excitement at the prospect of them having their mum back.

All the research they'd been doing the last few weeks had done nothing to diminish Ed's belief that they would be able to succeed where others had failed. While Al was still hesitant about it, he had to admit that he was starting to believe that they might really be able to do this. Al had been surprised when Ed had told him the night before Al's birthday that he really believed they might be able to perform the array as early September, maybe October, which was only a couple of months away. Having a deadline, no matter how tenuous, seemed to light a fire under the boys and they were cracking down on the studying even more now.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. No one decided to pay them a surprise visit and they were able to get through several books. The only difference between this day and the last several was the fact that Al's gut was twisting uncomfortably with the worry he felt at not learning his Animal's name already. Even with Ed's reminder at breakfast, Al couldn't help but feel as though he'd done something wrong and that's why the leopard wasn't completing their bond.

Every time he sensed his human having those thoughts, the leopard rubbed up against Al in a comforting, loving manner. Although Al really appreciated the gestures, there was only so much patience a 10-year-old boy can hold and Al knew his legendary patience was starting to run thin as he tried to stick to his brother's advice of not worrying himself sick.

So, when they headed off to bed that night, Al was a little surprised that Ed's parting words were 'quit worrying or I'm gonna knock you out'. Well, he wasn't surprised at the threat but more at the fact Ed had noticed he was still worried. Al thought he'd been in the clear when Ed had found an extremely promising journal of their father's and had proceeded to devour it in record time before he handed it over to Al, only for the younger Elric to realise it was the book that contained the transmutation recipe they'd been hunting for.

In an effort to make sure Ed didn't turn his attention back onto Al and his worrying, Alphonse had admitted that he thought that if they followed the recipe to the letter, they'd be able to pull it off. Ed hadn't looked too enthused about using their father's recipe but had finally decided that he didn't care, so long as brought their mother back. Al had never seen Ed so focused before, even when Al and Ayala coaxed him out of the study for dinner and sleep, which was why Al had been surprised Ed had noticed he was still upset about his Animal not completing their bond. Al tucked himself into bed with his leopard curling up around him and fell asleep hoping that tomorrow would be the day their bond was complete.

* * *

The next day proved just as fruitful as the previous day. Ed and Al found several more journals that held more information about human transmutation. Evidently, it had been something their father had researched thoroughly when he was younger and Al wondered whether their father had performed human transmutation before. He didn't voice his question though, just in case Ed snapped at him for mentioning Hohenheim, but he did spend some time trying to figure out who their father had wanted to bring back so badly.

* * *

By the fourth day of having Al's leopard appear, Ed had grown immensely tired of Al's poorly hidden moping so he and Ayala herded him and the leopard out of the house and took them on their afternoon exploration. Alphonse finally cracked a real smile for the first time all day as he watched his Animal leap from tree to tree where he could and discover new sights and smells. Ed and Ayala mentally congratulated themselves for a job well done.

They then silently cursed themselves when Al asked if he and his Animal could join them for their special training. Ed had to explain that they needed a completed bond before Ed could pass along the lessons to them. But Ed promised that as soon as the bond was completed, he would drag the pair out to start their lessons and assured Alphonse he knew that their bond would be completed soon. They wanted Alphonse and his Animal to get started on the lessons as soon as they could because they were an excellent way for a bonded pair to fine tune their teamwork and their instincts during a fight. Plus, Ed and Ayala were keen to find out if Al and his leopard would be able to use the special ability the two had accidentally discovered that had rendered Izumi speechless when she first witnessed it.

They continued on their afternoon walk, spending more time than Ed and Ayala normally would've exploring to try and maximise the amount of exposure Al's leopard got to their immediate area. Eventually though, they did have to head back but Al had promised that he would join them every afternoon from then on and he apologised to his leopard for not thinking of joining them the previous times. From the look on his face, it was clear the leopard had forgiven him. As they entered the house, Al offered to cook dinner while Ed and Ayala got themselves cleaned up. Not one to argue about getting out of cooking, Ed immediately agreed and headed upstairs while Al and his leopard went into the kitchen.

 _"Chester."_ Al dropped the plate he'd been holding out of surprise. It smashed into pieces but Al didn't notice. He just shared at his Animal in shock. The leopard looked calmly back. _"My name. It's Chester. Also, I'm not just a leopard, I'm a Sunda Clouded Leopard,"_ Chester informed him a little haughtily. It took a few moments for Al to process the fact that the voice he heard was inside his head and that could only mean...

"BROTHER!" Al screeched loud enough to cause Chester to flinch in shock. He heard a thump upstairs and running footsteps before his brother burst into the kitchen, proceeded by Ayala who skidded to a stop as soon as she entered. Ed barely avoided crashing into her while simultaneously pulling his shirt over his head.

"Al! What's wrong?!" He asked frantically as he spotted the broken dish and his brother looking shell shocked in the middle of the mess. His Animal was just sitting there, looking pleased with himself. "Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?" He asked as he manoeuvred around the shards of the dinner plate, wincing as a fragment dug into the soft sole of his foot. Al stuttered for a bit before managing to string enough words together.

"He spoke," Al finally said, disbelief drenching his voice. Ed looked taken aback.

"What? Really?" Ed asked, grabbing his brother by the forearms, accidentally stepping on another chip of plate. He and Ayala winced in tandem but were much more concerned with Al's situation than they were with a tiny cut on Ed's foot. Al seemed to suddenly realise what he'd said and gripped Ed's forearms tightly as he looked slightly manic.

"He spoke to me! He told me his name! His name, Ed! He told me!" Al started shaking Ed like the 11-year-old was a ragdoll. Ed removed Al's grip on him, grimacing as he did so. His little brother had a very tight grip.

"So what is it?" Ed asked, excitement for his brother evident in his voice.

"Chester! And he told me he's a Sunda Clouded Leopard!" Al grinned so widely Ed was sure his face would split.

"That would explain his colouring. I thought he was a subspecies of the clouded leopard. Their colouring is fair brighter whereas Chester," Al grinned madly as Ed said his leopard's name, "is a bit duller, probably so he'd blend in with a darker, jungle environment." Ed paused as he realised something. "This means we can go to Granny's! You can introduce Chester to them since you've got a completed bond and we can start training together," Ed told him excitedly and Al grinned happily.

"Can we go tomorrow?" He asked, already knowing that Ed wouldn't let them go tonight since it was already dark. Ed nodded in agreement.

"We can head over after breakfast and spend a couple of hours there," Ed said. "We can start training tomorrow afternoon. We'll put our study on hold for a couple of days until the two of you have gotten the basics of the lessons down," Ed said decisively. "But this is amazing, Al! Your bond's complete!" Ed said giddily, causing Al to laugh at the sudden change in Ed's tone. Soon enough, all of them were laughing together before Al saw Ed's bleeding foot and started fussing.

"You're hurt!" He exclaimed before realising why he was. "I'm sorry, Ed. I should've picked up the broken plate first," he apologised but Ed waved it off.

"Teacher did way worse to me during training and it's my fault for not checking the floor first," Ed told him as he pulled himself up on the kitchen bench so he could clean up his foot. "If you really wanna show how sorry you are, you can clean up that plate so Aya and Chester don't hurt themselves," Ed told him. Al rolled his eyes at his brother before finding the dustpan and brush after ordering both Animals to stay where they were.

Once Al was done and Ed got his foot to stop bleeding, Ed marched Al upstairs and towards his room with Chester and Ayala following dutifully behind them. Alphonse's protests were being completely ignored, much to Chester's amusement until Al was shoved into his room. Chester headed in after him and curled himself up on the bed before watching the two brothers, who were now arguing.

"There's no way I can sleep now! I'm too excited," Al whined, trying to convince Ed to let him stay up.

"Okay, firstly; I don't care," Ed told him. "Secondly; you'll come off that high and be exhausted when you do crash and thirdly; you can use this opportunity to talk with Chester without me or Ayala there," Ed said. Al pouted at first but decided his brother had some good points and bade both Ed and Ayala goodnight.

He climbed onto his bed, careful to avoid Chester, and used the wall to lean against as he watched his leopard's chest rise and fall with the even rhythm of his breathing. Now that he could feel it for himself, he finally understood what Ed had tried to explain to him when Al had asked what it felt like to have a completed bond. It was like finding the other half of your soul and he realised why Ed struggled to describe it; there were no words.

 _"I can feel you staring at me."_ Chester sounded amused as he lifted his head to look at his human. Al startled guiltily. _"What's wrong?"_ Chester asked.

"I just... I finally understand what my brother was trying to explain to me. About how the completed bond feels," Al explained, his voice cracking a little. He was ecstatic the bond was completed but a small part of him still wanted to know why it had taken Chester four days to complete it.

 _"I can tell you're wondering about something. Is it why I took so long to complete the bond?"_ Chester's smooth voice asked. Al figured it would take more than a couple of hours for him to learn just how deep this bond went. He nodded yes but didn't voice his question out loud. He didn't want to ask Chester if he didn't want to answer. _"I waited this long because I wanted to observe how you normally acted. Granted, I didn't expect you to be so worried about why I hadn't bonded yet but that's because I didn't realise Ayala had bonded so quickly with your brother. I promise that it had nothing to do with any failings you think you have. I just wanted to see how you interacted with everyone before I completed the bond. I am sorry that I caused you so much distress though."_ Chester sounded completely apologetic but Al didn't care. In fact, he was extremely happy since he now knew that Chester hadn't thought he was horrible or something like that.

Chester felt his chest warm as he felt Al's undiluted happiness through their bond. He'd known that Al had been upset while their bond was incomplete, like he had told Al. Even the half-complete bond let him feel the echoes of what Alphonse felt and vice versa. Now that the bond was complete, Chester had complete access to Al's feelings and thoughts as well as being able to use the special abilities all bonded Animals could use, like telepathy and sight-share.

Chester made a surprised noise when Alphonse wrapped his arms around him in a tight hug. The leopard purred happily and felt Al bury his face in his fur. After a few moments, Chester worried Al was getting uncomfortable and managed to convince him into lying down properly. As soon as Chester got himself in a comfortable position, Alphonse pulled him in closer and they fell asleep curled up together.

* * *

The next morning, after breakfast, Ed made good on his promise and the four of them took the long route to the Rockbells house to give Chester a chance to familiarise himself more with the area. The plan was still relatively the same: spend the morning with Granny and Winry before they went into town to stock up supplies after their big feast when Chester first showed up then go back home and start teaching Chester and Alphonse the lessons Izumi had taught Ed and Ayala.

Because Al wanted to surprise Winry and Granny with Chester, he begged Ed and Ayala to go ahead of them. Ed and Ayala rolled their eyes simultaneously at his antics but Ed's chuckle was enough for Al to know they really were onboard with his surprise plan. As he and Chester his, Ed and Ayala headed up the stairs of the Rockbell house and knocked on the front door. Den didn't greet them but it wasn't uncommon for the collie to be inside with Granny while she worked on her chores so Ed wasn't worried.

"Where's Alphonse? Is he alright?" Winry asked the moment she opened the door and saw only Ed and Ayala.

"Oh, I see where we stand in the pecking order. Not even a hello before you start asking after Al. Well, if we're not wanted, Ayala and I'll just leave," Ed said melodramatically as he and Ayala went to turn around. Winry grabbed his arm before he could.

"Stop being a big baby. I only asked because you two are attached at the hip," Winry laughed at her best friends dramatic ways. "But seriously, is he okay?"

"Well, something major did happen. You could say life-changing even." Edward grinned as he waved Al over from where he was hiding.

Winry looked confused as a perfectly healthy-looking Alphonse sauntered over with a massive grin on his face. For a moment, Winry was fully prepared to start lecturing them about trying to worry her when she spotted a leopard following behind Al. To her credit, it only took Winry a moment to understand the significance of what that meant. Her squeal of delight almost sent Ayala and Chester deaf with their sensitive hearing and the force behind the shove she gave Ed's shoulder to get passed him and down the stairs was likely enough to bruise him. It certainly hurt enough to make Ed rub the spot and glare daggers at the blonde mechanic.

Ayala sat next to Ed's feet, glowering at Winry as her shoulder throbbed with sympathy pain from Ed's injury. They watched as Winry gave Alphonse a hug tight enough they saw Chester twitch before she let go to start demanding introductions and answers. In that moment, Ed and Ayala heard both Granny and Den come to stand next to them, likely attracted by Winry's squeal.

"So Al got his Animal, huh?" Granny asked, removing the pipe from her mouth as she spoke. "You boys are the youngest I know of to get their Animals. When did he get his?" She dragged on the pipe as she waited for his answer.

"Chester turned up nearly five days ago," Ed told her. Winry must've asked the same question because everyone within five kilometres heard her screeched response.

"WHY'D IT TAKE YOU FIVE DAYS TO INTRODUCE US? IT'S NOT LIKE YOU WERE ON AN ISLAND LIKE ED! WE'RE JUST DOWN THE ROAD!" A thump, sound of pain and low growl were soon heard as Ed chuckled. At least it wasn't him getting hit with Winry's favourite wrench.

"What she said," Granny's croaky voice said.

"We didn't want to bring him by until their bond was complete and that didn't happen until last night. Al was so worried about it but Chester obviously explained why it took so long because Al was a lot happier this morning," Ed informed her. She nodded as she tapped her pipe to empty it.

"Fair enough. Well, come in if you'd like. I've just boiled the kettle." Granny turned around and headed to the kitchen without waiting for an answer.

Ed and Ayala watched Al as Winry studied Chester closely. Den had also joined them at some stage and was waiting to introduce himself to the newest arrival. Ayala and Ed followed Granny inside and joined her for a cuppa. They sat in amicable silence and were soon joined by Winry, Den, Al and Chester. Winry was obviously satisfied with whatever answers Al had given her because he didn't look too beat up. Chester was giving Winry a dirty look but she looked safe from his wrath.

"Why didn't you tell me Al got his Animal?" Winry demanded as soon as she saw Ed.

"Wasn't my place. You wouldn't like it if someone blabbed to everyone in town that you got your Animal before you could tell them yourself," he pointed out. Winry narrowed her eyes at him like she was trying to telepathically figure out if he was lying to save his own arse before nodding in acceptance. Ed gave Al a dirty look when he looked disappointed at the lack of violence.

It was soon apparent that Winry had only asked enough questions to squash her curiosity enough to let the four of them move inside to join Ed, Ayala and Granny. Ed and Pinako were happy to leave the interrogation to Winry, with Ed only interrupting a couple of times to add a snide comment or remark. About halfway through Winry's questioning, Granny interrupted with an offer to make lunch, which was readily accepted by Ed, because he was hungry, and Al, because he hoped it would quieten Winry for a little while. He was soon proven that not even a delicious lunch cooked by her grandmother was enough to get Winry to pause in her relentless questioning.

After lunch was eaten, Edward took pity on his brother and put a stop to the endless streams of questions from Winry by telling her and Granny that they needed to go into town. Winry didn't seem happy that she wouldn't get all her questions answered but she let them go without arguing. They left the two women and Den before showing Chester more of Resembool and its surrounds by taking a convoluted route into town.

The supply run took a little longer because of that but by the time they were done and heading back up the quickest route to home they made it back to the house with plenty of daylight left for Ed to keep his second promise to Alphonse. Once the food was put away, Ed and Ayala led the other two to their training ground and spend the next couple of hours going through everything Izumi had told them during their first lesson with her. By the time the lecture-side of the lesson was done, they still had an hour of daylight so Ed suggested Al and Chester put what they'd learned to the test. The two readily accepted.

An hour later, Al and Chester were heaving for breath while Ayala and Ed simply stood there. Since their teacher and her Animal hadn't shown them any mercy, Ed and Ayala hadn't shown Al or Chester any either. They did decide to cook dinner that night though, not quite mean enough to make Al do it, even though it was his turn to cook, and Ed even washed up while Al was in the shower. There were no arguments or half-hearted protests from either Al or Chester when Ed suggested they got to bed.

While Ed had felt a little bad about how hard he was being on them, he didn't feel bad enough to slow the lessons down. Alphonse and Chester hadn't expected Ed to do so anyway. Though he hadn't witnessed the aftermath of Izumi's lessons with Ed and Ayala, Chester had heard about it from Alphonse and knew that the lessons could be worse so neither of them complained, even though they found themselves on the ground, gasping for breath and nursing wounds nearly every day for a week straight.

* * *

A month soon passed since Chester first spoke to Alphonse and the boys found themselves in a good routine. They'd start the day with breakfast then head to their father's study to continue their research before breaking to have lunch. Once lunch was eaten they'd move out to the house yard where they would either spar as bonded partners, Animal vs Animal and human vs human or Ed vs Chester and Al vs Ayala. After that, either Ed or Al would go inside to start while the other would patch up any wound the Animal's suffered and get them all cleaned up.

As September slowly passed them by, both boys found themselves a mixture of excited, uncertain, scared and determined in growing amounts with each passing day. The energy in the house grew tenser as the two boys continued absorbing of the information they could get their hands on. The day Ed suggested they buy the required ingredients during their next shop made all nervous tension in the house skyrocket. Chester was especially nervous as he hadn't been given very long to get used to the idea, unlike Ayala who had had almost two years to process what her human wanted to do before they even starting researching, but – like Ayala – Chester agreed to let the boys to be the ones to decide when the time came. Secretly though, Chester hoped the boys would feel his and Ayala's reservations and not go through with their plan.

Once they had all of the ingredients needed gathered and the array drawn carefully in the basement where no one was allowed into anymore, just in case it was accidentally activated or ruined. All that was left was to study all their notes to make sure they'd forgotten nothing. Like Ed had said on the train from Dublith to Central, this was the one array where absolutely everything had to be perfect. Ed's firm belief they would succeed was only dampened by Al's apprehensiveness about going through with the plan. When Ed asked him, Al couldn't give him a straight answer about whether they should go through with the plan, Ed told him to take as long as he needed until he could decide either way.

It took him a few days but Al finally approached Ed in late September and told him that he thought they should go for it. Once he was assured by Al that he was completely sure, Ed grabbed his little brother in a tight hug and told him they'd do it the next night. He then proposed that they go to bed early that night and spend the day scrubbing the house top to bottom before going over their notes one final time. Al agreed wholeheartedly and once dinner was done and dishes were washed, the boys went to bed with their Animals so they would be fully rested for the next day.

* * *

The next morning had the boys going into clean-up mode the moment they'd finished their breakfast. Because they didn't want to risk someone walking in on them attempting the one array that would see them in front of a military firing squad with no questions asked the boys had decided they would be better off activating it at night. It was also the reason they'd chosen the basement to perform the alchemy needed since that room had the best chance of hiding as much of the energy that would be released as possible.

As soon as their breakfast dishes were washed, the boys turned their attention on the rest of the house. Every single nook and cranny were scrubbed clean and everything, no matter how minor, was fixed, both on the inside and outside of the house. Nothing was missed, not even something as tiny as a slightly raised nail. Once the house was clean, the Animals were taken up to the bathroom and washed until they were cleaner than they'd ever been and the bathroom was cleaned again as the Animals dried themselves off. Once they were dry, they were told they weren't allowed outside again unless the house was on fire and only then were they allowed outside if the boys weren't able to get the fire under control.

Once they'd gone over their notes one more time and couldn't find something they'd missed or hadn't considered, they went into the kitchen where they made and had dinner, making sure there was enough left over in case their mum was hungry when they brought her back. During dinner, the storm that had been making its way towards Resembool had finally hit and they ate their food to the sound of rain falling outside. No one, not even the Animals, spoke during the meal and before anyone knew it, Ed was cleaning up the dinner dishes and telling them it was time to head to the basement.

The storm outside had picked up during their meal and Al almost jumped as they headed for the basement when a particularly loud clap of thunder sounded. For a moment, once they were in the basement and the boys were standing carefully in the array to place the container they'd put the needed ingredients into, Al had the thought that the storm was a sign they shouldn't go through with it. When he said he wasn't sure, Ed had looked at him and told him that he needed to be. Al knew that even now when they were literal moments away from activating the array, Ed would walk away if Al said he wasn't on board. Taking a moment, Al finally nodded resolutely and pulled the small knife out of his pocket, poising the tip over one of his fingers in preparation to add the final needed ingredient.

Ed gave him a blinding smile and, as a flash of lightening lit up the room, both boys nicked their finger and allowed a few drops of their blood to mix with the other ingredients that would be used to bring their mother back. They quickly wrapped their tiny wound with a small bandage so they wouldn't accidentally drip blood onto the array as they carefully made their way out of it, making absolutely certain they didn't touch any of the symbols or lines until they were in the clear. The thunder and lighting continued to roll and flash outside and the rain was now pelting their house with renewed ferocity.

Both Animals were waiting where their humans had said for them to wait. Because of their bonds, the boys were fully aware of how anxious and fearful their Animals were but they were too close to their goal to spend the time needed to soothe their Animal. Both Animals refused to leave the room so Ed had them both wait at the furthest end of the room, just for the boys' piece of mind. The two boys knelt next to each other, with some space between them for elbow room, before they took a deep, calming breath and gave each other a final nod. If they'd taken the few moments to look back at their Animals, they would've noticed that both of them had their fur standing on end and were baring their teeth in matching, feral snarls, but they didn't. Instead, they both placed their hands onto the array and activated it.

The blue alchemic energy they created lit the room up so brightly that the lightning strikes outside didn't even register to the elated Elric brothers. They kept their hands on the array, fueling it with as much alchemic energy as it required and grinned at each other as the energy crackled and danced in front of them as it raced to reach the container in the middle of the array. This was it; they were going to succeed where no other alchemist in history had done so before. They would, in a few short moments, have their mother back.

* * *

But then everything went to hell. The air suddenly turned dangerous and not even a heartbeat later, their brilliant blue alchemic energy turned purple, signalling that something had gone horribly wrong with the transmutation. The planks of wood that made up the ceiling and walls of the basement started rattling violently and the glass panes in the windows started shaking brutally as the purple alchemic energy mimicked the angry storm outside. Before either brother or Animal could process the magnitude of what was happening, Ed felt something _tearing_ at his leg.

Whipping his head around to look, he heard Ayala's howl of pain as he watched his leg being torn away from him by little black hands. Another scream – this one of terror and confusion – had him looking back towards the array and to his complete and utter horror, Ed watched his little brother being grabbed by identical tiny black hands and ripped slowly apart in front of his very eyes. Al's scream of his name had Ed wrenching himself out of his frozen stupor and reaching desperately for his baby brother, willing himself to just grab a hold of Alphonse because if he did, he could save him.

Just as he felt his fingertips touch Al's, his brother was gone with a final pained scream. Chester's pained-filled writhing and yowling stopped the moment Al disappeared in front of Ed's disbelieving eyes. The pain in his left leg reached a new height and he heard Ayala's bloodcurdling scream pierce his skull. Before he could even start processing everything that happened, Ed blinked and found himself pain-free and standing in a blindingly white room, two big, black doors looming over him.

" _Welcome, little alchemist_." Ed's spine felt like someone had dropped freezing ice water down his shirt and he spun to face the owner of the spine-chilling voice. He came face to face with a humanoid being that had no identifiable features except for its massive, creepy grin.

"Who are you? Where's my brother?" Ed asked in a shaky voice. The being seemed to consider his question.

" _Who am I?_ " It asked. " _One name you might have for me is the world, or you might call me the universe, or perhaps God, or perhaps the Truth. I am All and I am One. So, of course, that also means I am you. I am the truth of your despair, the inescapable price of you boastfulness. And now I will bestow upon you the despair you deserve._ " Before Ed could fully process Truth's answer, let alone respond to it, the black doors behind him swung open and pulled him inside.

The knowledge he felt being crammed into his head was so overwhelming, he almost wanted to pass out from the intensity of it all. His screams and pleas for it to end fell on deaf ears and he was willing himself to lose consciousness when he saw her. He couldn't see her face, only her silhouette, but he knew it was his mother who was waiting for him at the end of the tunnel of knowledge he was going through. He cried out for her, reaching as desperately for her as he did for Al but, just like what happened with Al, the moment their fingertips touched, Ed was yanked back to the sickly white room and the humanoid being.

" _How was it?_ " Truth asked. Ed took his time before he answered, forgetting momentarily about all of the trauma he'd just gone through, as he focused on what he just learned.

"I see. My theory wasn't wrong! It is possible! It's just missing something! Please, you have to show me more!" Ed begged as he scrabbled at the doors, freezing instantly when he heard a chuckle that sent violent shivers down his spine sound from behind him.

" _Silly alchemist,_ " it chided. " _I've shown you all I can for the price you paid,_ " it grinned at him as he looked at it in confusion.

"Price? What price?" No sooner had those words left his mouth did he feel a shadow of the immense pain he'd felt in the basement. Looking down, instead of seeing all of his left leg, he was confronted with the sight of everything below his knee missing. Now confused and in rapidly-increasing pain, Ed looked at Truth only for his expression to change to one of horror when he saw _his_ leg appear where Truth's was.

" _This was your price. It's the law of equivalent exchange. Isn't that right, young alchemist?_ " Truth laughed as Ed was thrown back into their basement.

* * *

Before he'd been kidnapped by Truth, the basement was at risk of being torn apart by the windstorm the rebounding alchemic energy had created. After Truth had thrown him back, bleeding heavily and in indescribable pain – both physical and emotional – the basement was eerily still. Their hand-written notes were strewn across the room and anything lighter than the wooden chair had been upended and displaced. Ed noted in dazed surprise that the window managed to survive intact as he took in the damage done to the basement in a detached way. At least, until he spotted their Animals.

Chester was lying on his side, pain etched into his face and twitching randomly from residual pain, chest rising and falling slightly as he drew in the barest of breaths. Ayala was in better shape but only just. The only thing that made her condition better than Chester's was the fact that she was conscious and Ed choked on a sob as everything that had happened started sinking in.

"This is wrong. Please, someone help else. Anyone... please just help us," Ed begged from where he knelt, tears streaming down his cheeks. "What have I done?" He questioned before he remembered what he and Al had been trying to achieve. "Mum? Mum please, please help us!" He begged as he choked on his tears, looking for his mother in the middle of the array.

However, rather than being greeted by his mother's kind and loving face, he found himself staring at a half-formed monster. He watched in horror as the deformed creature moved its head to look over at him, its lank, long, dark hair flopping as it did so. The creature – _their mother_ , a small voice in Ed's head reminded him – reached out for him and Ed felt bile rise in his throat as it did so. He choked on his scream of horror and vomit as the creature's arm detached from its body with a wet rip before hitting the ground with a squelching thud.

"My baby brother," Ed sobbed. "Alphonse, what have I done?! This isn't what we wanted! He's gone! Alphonse is gone! My little brother!" He screamed in grief and anguish. Ayala had managed to fight through the phantom pain and her own horror to thrust her head under his hand to try and comfort him.

Ed glanced at her before turning his attention to Chester, tears cascading down his face as he looked at his brother's Spirit Animal. Because of his emotional turmoil, it took Ed a few moments to realise what he was seeing. _Chester was still breathing_. He wasn't dead, only unconscious and the magnitude of that fact hit Ed with the force of a brick wall. Grabbing the shirt Al had been wearing before Truth had torn him apart, Ed created a bandage to try and stem the blood pouring from what remained of his left leg before focusing on Chester once more.

Ignoring the pain he was in, Ed dragged himself towards Chester, forcing himself to ignore Ayala's own pained whimpers as his movements only increased the pain he was in to the point where his vision started to spot. Forcing himself to stay conscious, Ed blinked the black spots away and place his hands on Chester's chest. He almost laughed in giddy relief as he felt the leopards ribcage rise and fall. It was only shallow but it was proof that Chester was still alive and if Chester was still alive, it meant that somehow, so was Alphonse. After all, an Animal can't survive without its human. When Trisha had passed away, Cleo had followed only moments later and it had been well over three minutes since their array had failed catastrophically.

Then he felt his hopes stutter as Chester started taking longer to draw in his next breath. At this rate, he was going to lose his only chance to get his brother back alive in less than a minute. He had to act right now. Looking around the room for something to help him, his eyes fell on the massive suit of armour their father had put in the study and forbade them from touching. He couldn't transmute a human back to life, he was still missing the key piece of information he needed, but maybe there was something he _could_ do.

"I'm sorry, Ayala. The pain isn't over yet," he apologised to his wolf as he dragged himself across the room to the armour and knocked it over, its helmet bouncing away. Ayala could tell what he was planning. "I don't know what it'll take for this to work but it's not going to be painless," he told her.

Ayala could see the desperation and pleading in her human's golden eyes as plain as day. She knew that there wasn't a lot Ed wouldn't do for Alphonse, especially after their mother's passing. She glanced at Chester who was now barely drawing a whisper of breath and looked back at Ed. She could be selfish and tell him she wouldn't be able to handle the pain and he wouldn't do a thing except watch Chester draw his final breath but she also knew he would never be able to live with himself and neither would she. She was more than willing to go through any amount of pain so Ed wouldn't lose his only family.

 _"Don't worry about me. If you survive, I'll survive,"_ she said resolutely, somehow finding the strength to send that message through their bond.

Her permission was all Ed needed to hear before he moved as quickly as he physically could. He pulled the neck of the armour so it was between his right leg and what remained of his left leg. The armour settled in the pool of blood his wound had created, despite his using Al's discarded clothing as a make-shift bandage, but Ed paid in no attention as he dipped his shaking finger into the blood and stilled his hand as much as he could before he painted the array he needed. Once the array was drawn onto the inside of the neck of the armour, he placed his hands together and made one final anguished plea, ignoring the tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Give him back," Ed demanded "He's my brother. Take my leg, take my arm, take my heart! Anything, you can have it! Just give him back," he said, voice trembling. "He's my little brother! I need him! So give him back!" He shouted before placing his hands on the blood array and activated it.

Blue energy crackled for the second time that night but this time it didn't rebound on the alchemist who activated it. The moment the energy faded from existence, the payment for the successful array was taken and both Ayala and Edward screamed as Ed's entire right arm was ripped from his body. Ayala lost consciousness immediately but Ed fought to stay awake, needing to see if this array was actually a success. A look over at Chester showed him that the leopard's breathing was far more obvious and even, though he was still unconscious. The hand of the armour moved and Ed let himself slump backwards so he was laying on the ground. Blackness threatened to overtake his vision once more but he only succumbed to it when he heard his brother's voice call his name.

 **A/N - the revised chapter 5 for you all! See you next week**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Chester had an extremely bad feeling. He felt his skin crawl like a million ants were marching just underneath it and his fur was standing on end. He wasn't sure if his twisting stomach was going to cause him to throw up or just stay an awful roiling mess of nerves. He wanted to grab his idiotic human and drag him bodily out of this basement. His Spirit Animal instincts were screaming out him to get himself and Alphonse as far away from this situation as possible. His senses were going insane at the amount of _simply wrong_ he could feel in the air and a glance at Ayala told him she was feeling the exact same way.

Before he could ask her whether they should put a stop to this – they were Spirit Animals so it was their duty to do everything to save their human – the boys were placing their hands on the array and activating it. He felt Alphonse's ecstatic delight as they all watched the blue energy dance its way to the middle of the array. Despite the uneasy atmosphere created by Chester's instincts and the aggressive storm outside, Chester let himself believe that _maybe_ he and Ayala had been worrying about nothing. Of course, that was the moment everything went wrong.

The light turned purple and he knew from Al that that meant the array was rebounding. The atmosphere in the room darkened and soon Chester and Ayala were struggling to keep their feet under them as the dangerous alchemic energy created a ferocious windstorm in the basement. Crouching so his belly was almost on the ground, Chester made to crawl forward, his need to get to Alphonse almost overwhelming his other senses when he heard Ayala's scream of pain and saw her human's lower left leg being torn away from him by what looked like tiny black hands.

His frozen shock was broken as pain worse than anything he could've described tore into his very being and he managed to look at his human before the pain overtook him. To his horror, he watched helplessly as his human was being grabbed all over by those same black hands and being slowly torn to pieces. He watched as Edward valiantly fought through his own pain, causing even more if the whimpers Ayala were making were anything to go by, to make a grab for Alphonse. He prayed to whoever was listening that Ed would make it in time only to witness his human disintegrating before his very eyes with his scream for his brother cut off before it was completed. The last thing he saw before he mercifully passed out was the heartbreaking look of disbelief and horror on Edward's face.

* * *

Ayala felt terror crawl up her throat as she watched the blue alchemic energy created by the boys turn a nasty purple, indicating a rebound. Like Chester, she knew that the destruction caused by a rebound was directly related to the strength of the transmutation which meant she knew this rebound was going to be devastating. Just as Chester tried, she got low on her belly to try and crawl to her human without being blown off her feet by the windstorm. She didn't manage one step before her left hind leg gave way underneath and a scream of pain tore its way from her throat.

She fought her way through the threat of unconsciousness caused by the sympathy pain to see Ed's lower left leg disappear and blood rapidly pooling where it had been moments ago. She heard Chester's own screams of pain and she looked over to find the leopard writhing in agony next to her. The sympathy pain she felt flared to new heights and she wrenched her gaze from Chester to her human and felt her throat close in panic as she witnessed Ed reaching for Alphonse, his desperation to get to his brother overwhelming their bond, only to watch in complete disbelief as Alphonse disappeared right in front of them.

The moment he did, Chester stopped moving and Ayala's grief threatened to overtake everything until she noticed he was still breathing. Before she could tell Ed, her connection with him was cut and she looked over to where he'd been only to find he was _gone_. Completely vanished into thin air. Ayala gaped for a moment, barely registering that her sympathy pain was also gone, before she got up and started searching for Ed, believing in her grief that Ed had somehow managed to hide somewhere in the basement. There was no blood leading up the stairs and no blood smeared anywhere like it was from where he'd lost his leg to where he'd been when Alphonse vanished to indicate Ed had managed to drag himself somewhere.

* * *

Stumped and overwhelmed, Ayala went back over to Chester, who was still breathing and twitching randomly from pain, and watched over him until her left hind leg started feeling sympathy pain again. It built slowly, which caused her some confusion, until it hit her all at once, causing her to yelp in agony and fight the urge once more to pass out. When she opened her eyes, Ed was sitting where he'd been when he'd vanished, sobbing and calling out for someone to help him. She felt all of the knowledge that had been crammed into his head but her biggest worry was the amount of physical and emotional pain he was in.

She left Chester's side to limp towards her human, the sympathy pain in her leg so severe she couldn't place weight on it, listening to the heart-wrenching pleas for help her boy was sobbing. She'd nearly made it before she was almost knocked over by the wave of disgust, disbelief, horror and grief that flooded her bond with Ed and looked up in time to witness the thing they'd created – something she hadn't even noticed in her frantic search for Ed when he vanished – reach for him and have its arm thud grotesquely to the floor with a wet squelch.

She reached him as he started begging for Al as the realisation of what had happened started sinking in for Ed. She thrust her head under his hands and onto his lap, trying to give him whatever comfort she could. She felt a semblance of gratefulness break through the mass of disbelief and grief in their bond when something she couldn't see caught his attention. Following his line of sight, she realised he'd noticed Chester and berated herself for not bringing up his continued survival before now. She moved just as Ed grabbed Al's abandoned shirt and used it as a makeshift bandage for his leg and prepared herself for what was about to happen.

The sympathy pain caused by Ed's army crawl made her want to curl up but she stayed where she was as Ed placed his hands on Chester's ribcage and felt his breathing. She felt the moment Ed realised what it meant that Chester was still alive only to feel that hope stutter as Chester's breathing started failing. Then she felt him look at something and form a cautious plan to get his brother back. When she eyed the armour Ed had noticed and saw the determined expression on his face, she braced herself once more as Ed crawled his way over to the armour as quickly as he could and knock it over. The noise the helmet made as it clanged onto the ground made Ayala wince before Ed's attention was on her.

"I'm sorry, Ayala. The pain isn't over yet," Ed said apologetically. She knew what he wanted to do. She knew his window of opportunity was narrowing rapidly. She also knew the self-sacrificing idiot that was her human wouldn't risk his happiness over her well-being, even if it meant him losing his one chance to get his brother back but she also knew he wouldn't forgive himself or her if she voiced her selfish thoughts for no more pain.

 _"Don't worry about me. If you survive, I'll survive."_ She used the last of her dwindling strength to give him what he needed: her permission.

His expression melted into one of gratefulness and he dipped a finger into the pool of his own blood and drew out a circle on the inside of the armour. Placing his hands together, she watched him make one last, begging plea to some unknown being, bargaining for his brother's life. He placed his hands on the blood array and she watched the blue light flare once again. She knew it had worked from the triumph she felt from Ed before her right front leg gave out and she crashed to the ground, writhing in complete agony. The last things she saw before she passed out was the armour moving and Ed slumping to the ground, blood pooling under him.

* * *

When Alphonse woke up, he found himself lying on his back and looking up at their basement ceiling. As he called out for Ed, worry and fear in his voice, he realised his voice sounded _weird_. He didn't know how to describe it but it was like his voice wasn't coming from his mouth and it sounded kind of tinny, like he was speaking from inside a metal container. As he moved to get up, he realised two things; he couldn't feel himself physically moving his eyes but somehow, he was able to look around and he felt different.

He tried to recall what he last remembered as he sat up. He remembered preparing the ingredients required for the transmutation before hesitating and voicing his concerns to Ed just before they went to add the soul data. He then recalled how he finally made up his mind for them to go ahead and they cut their fingers, added the blood to the other ingredients before they made their way carefully out of the array to kneel at the edge of the outer circle. He remembered placing his hands on the circle at the same time as Ed, sharing one more confirming nod before releasing the alchemic energy he'd built up. He recalled watching as his and Ed's blue alchemic energy joined up and crackled its way to the centre of the array and sharing a victorious grin with his brother before the energy turned purple and violent.

Then he remembered Ayala screaming in pain as Ed looked behind him. Alphonse remembered seeing his brother's lower left leg disappear in front of their very eyes before there was pain. Everything he recalled between seeing Ed's leg being torn away from him to Al's view of the basement ceiling was white-hot, unimaginable pain ripped through him. He barely remembered seeing Ed lunging for him, reaching a bloody hand out to grab him before his pain ended and the next thing he knew; he was waking up on the floor.

He sat up fully as it hit him just exactly what Ed stretching a bloody hand towards him meant. His brother was hurt and, knowing Ed's luck, he was hurt badly. His sight fell on Chester first and felt relief as he saw his leopard's chest rising and falling with each breath. He could still feel his connection with Chester but having visual confirmation that he was in one piece and not hurt was much better at soothing his worried nerves.

His eyes next fell on Ayala as he looked for Ed and he thought he was going to faint as he realised that Ayala was laying in a pool of blood. Her gold and white fur was matted with the red liquid and she wasn't moving. Like Chester, Al could see her breathing but if that was her blood staining her coat, she wouldn't last much longer without Ed's interference. He reached for his brother's wolf, determined to stem the bleeding until he found Ed and figure out what kind of condition he was in, when he caught sight of his arm and froze.

His arm was metal. His gaze followed his arm and he caught sight of his legs and he realised they were metal as well. He tried to take a deep breath to stem his panic when he realised _he wasn't drawing in a breath_. He felt his panic climb further and he sprung to his metal feet, making an ungodly amount of noise, before catching sight of his brother for the first time since he woke up.

He was missing his lower left leg, just like Al remembered, but he was now missing his entire right arm and he was lying unconscious in a rapidly growing pool of his own blood. The leg wound was still bleeding sluggishly through a makeshift bandage but the second wound was pouring out blood. Al grabbed the jacket he'd been wearing and scurried to his big brother's side. He tore the jacket into the strips he needed before wrapping his shoulder wound in a poor imitation of how he'd seen Granny wrap an injury. When he touched Ed's face, he almost cried out when he couldn't feel any warmth. It took him a moment to realise it _wasn't_ that his brother wasn't warm; Al just literally couldn't feel him at all. He couldn't feel anything! A look at Ayala told him she was still breathing and when he looked even more closely at Ed, Al could've wept with relief as his brother drew shallow breaths of his own.

Al desperately wanted someone to tell him why he was a suit of armour but with Ed in the shape he was, he didn't have the time to wait for someone to wake up. He found the helmet that belonged to his armour and put it on before scooping Chester and Ayala up carefully and draping them over an arm each to balance out their weight. Neither Animal so much as twitched as he picked them up and Al felt himself grow even more worried before he shoved it away. He needed to get Ed to Granny so she could help them and if she could help Ed, she'd probably be able to help the Animals as well.

He carefully lifted his brother in a bridal carry, being extra careful not to touch or jostle the wounds so he wouldn't cause his brother more pain, before hurrying up the stairs of the basement as fast as he dared. He didn't spare the room or anything in it another glance as he crossed the threshold into the main house. Al didn't stop to close any doors as he rushed his brother and their Animals out of the house and into the pouring rain. He barely spared a thought to the rain, just hoping it would clean Ed's wounds a little and not slow him down as he ran as fast as he could without risking him falling over.

In what seemed like no time but what also seemed like hours later, Alphonse finally spotted the Rockbell house. He would've wept in relief but he'd already discovered he couldn't even shed a tear in this new body. He almost stumbled in his rush to get to the front door and forced himself to slow down so he wouldn't risk his precious cargo. He hauled himself up the front steps, carefully knelt down and rested Ed on his legs as he extracted one of his arms. He lay Ayala carefully on the ground next to him before he started pounding on the door as the thunder and lightning of the passing storm continued on behind him.

* * *

At first Pinako thought she was imaging the sound of someone trying to bash her front door in. Winry had had a late night but Pinako had finally gotten her to stop working and turn in a couple of hours ago so she knew it wasn't her walking around or working on some automail limbs. She almost dozed off again, convincing herself drowsily that it was just the thunder from the storm outside, when Den launched himself up off his bed and at the door, barking like crazy.

Muttering as she climbed out of bed, she demanded answers from her Animal through their bond as she made her way to the door but got nothing except undiluted fear and worry for her troubles. Opening her bedroom door up, Den shot out of it the moment he could. As she shuffled down the hallway, Winry appeared from her bedroom, yawning widely after she'd obviously been awoken by Den's barking and the noise outside. With Winry behind her, Pinako made her way to the front door where Den was now trying to claw his way though.

"Den, that's enough! What has gotten into you?" Pinako scolded as she reached the door. Though she wasn't certain about what was waiting for her on the other side, she knew from Den's reaction that it wouldn't be pretty. When she opened the door though, she did not expect to see a suit of armour kneeling on her front porch with a golden wolf next to it, a Sunda clouded leopard draped over a massive, metal arm and a heavily bleeding and unconscious Edward draped over its lap.

"Please, Granny. It's me, Al! You've gotta help them! Please!" The armour's tinny voice pleaded and Winry gasped from where she stood behind her and realisation hit Pinako hard. Den was fussing over the two Animals and Edward but she paid him no mind.

"Al?" Winry gasped. "What happened?" Tears spilled from her eyes as she took in her two best friends. Granny interrupted Al before he could even answer.

"Never mind that," Pinako ordered, turning from concerned grandmother to professional surgeon. "Winry, get everything ready. Ed's losing a lot of blood. We need to get to work now. We can get the story later," she ordered as she beckoned Al inside and shooed Winry towards the surgery room so they could start prepping it.

Al immediately picked Ayala up once more before shifting Ed so he was cradled in the one arm before he clanged into Granny's house, leaving a trail of water and mud behind him. At Granny's gesture, he placed Ayala and Chester on the beds that sat just inside the patient room, though he needed Winry's help with Chester so he wouldn't dislodge Edward and accidentally drop him. Granny then instructed him to carefully place Edward on the sterile surgical table before ordering him out of the room. Winry shut the door on him with a promise to bring Chester out the moment he didn't need medical attention. Alphonse didn't even get the chance to say anything before he was facing a closed door.

* * *

It took Alphonse a couple of moments of staring at the closed surgical room door before he came back to himself and carefully sat himself on the ground, mindful of the spikes on his armour, and leant up against the wall. Now that Edward and the Animals were in the best hands possible, Al let himself relax for the first time since he woke back up in the basement as a suit of armour. Before he'd realised Ed was badly hurt, Al had remembered only up to the point where he saw Ed reaching out for him before everything had gone mercifully black.

Now that he had nothing he needed to worry about – like getting his severely injured brother to Granny's before he bled out – Al could devote some time to trying to recall what had happened between Ed reaching for him and him waking up to the view of their basement ceiling. He stared at his metal arms that were resting on his metal knees and tried to force himself to remember. He knew something had happened since Ed was missing two limbs, not just the one Al saw being taken, and he was a freaking suit of armour! But no matter how hard he tried; Al just couldn't remember anything more than he did. It seemed he was just going to have to wait for Chester or Edward to wake up to find out what had happened.

He went to sigh before remembering he couldn't before settling for leaning his head back against the wall. Judging from the amount of blood that coated their basement floor and the blood slowly drying on his armour, Al knew his brother wouldn't be waking any time soon. His hope for an answer sooner rather than later lay with Chester but Al had his doubts about how much his leopard would remember. With the amount of pain Al could remember being in, he only hoped Chester passed out before whatever happened had happened.

* * *

A door opening next to him startled him enough to make him jump, causing his armour to clank slightly before he got himself to his feet. Upon further investigation, he discovered it was Winry trying to carry Chester and his borrowed bed out to him. Knowing first hand how heavy his leopard was, Al was quick to relieve her of part of her burden and let her place the bed next to the spot he'd been sitting in before he placed Chester on it.

"Is he okay? What about Ayala and Ed?" Al asked as sat next to his Animal and placed a massive hand on his head carefully. Winry took the opportunity to sit and it certainly looked like she needed it. A glance up at the clock had Al jumping a little in surprise as he realised it had been over an hour since he'd been first kicked out the surgical room.

"Chester's fine. Granny thinks he was overwhelmed by the pain you must've been in and the emotional impact to him from seeing it. He just couldn't handle the combination but he'll wake up soon." Winry looked like she was gonna cry at the thought but stopped herself last minute. "Ayala is pretty much in the same boat as Chester. She'll be alright," she said, answering one of Al's next questions before he could ask. "Granny said that Den could sense Ayala using the healing energy in Ed to heal herself faster since Animals can sense that sort of thing. He did say something else but Granny thought he was wrong," Winry said, more to herself than to Al but she started talking again before he could ask what she meant.

"Ed's doing as well as can be expected. Granny managed to stop the bleeding and he'll need more blood transfusions before we can risk moving him to the spare room but Granny said he can go up there tomorrow. Once he wakes up, Granny says he'll be fine. At least, physically. We'll need your help for that," she added and Al nodded his readiness to help. Winry gave him a tired, tight smile before frowning at Al slightly. Before he could ask what was wrong, Winry got up and left, only to return a few minutes later with a bucket of soapy water and a couple of sponges.

"What's that for?" Al asked as she placed it carefully next to him on the side Chester wasn't lying.

"You're covered in blood, mud and who knows what else. You're getting scrubbed down so you don't give Ed an infection when you're allowed to sit with him," Winry informed him as she handed him a sponge and got to work cleaning his armour. After a moment, Al started mimicking her, working on one of his legs.

"You said Den had mentioned something weird?" Al enquired curiously after a couple of minutes of silence between them. Winry startled slightly and Al figured she must've been in her own world too.

"Yeah. He said that Chester was taking energy from Ed too. Like Ayala. But that's impossible, right?" Winry asked, pausing in her scrubbing, since she wasn't as well informed as the boys were on the subject of Spirit Animals. Al prepared his response but was interrupted by Granny shouting.

"WINRY! Get back in here and finish helping me." Winry immediately jumped up, dropped her sponge and rushed back into the room, barely managing an apology before the door shut and Al was left by himself again, with the exception of the unconscious Chester.

* * *

He continued cleaning the mud and muck off his armour but instead of trying to force loose any missing memories, Al was now thinking about what Winry had just told him. While he was grateful to hear that Ayala would be perfectly fine and that given some time, so would Ed, his thoughts were on what Winry had said about Chester's energy. It wasn't possible for Ed to have Chester's energy inside of him because Chester wasn't Ed's Animal. Not unless there was something he was forgetting or didn't know about that made it possible but he wouldn't be able to find out until Ed or Chester woke up.

Alphonse had eventually decided to focus on cleaning himself up rather than puzzle over things he didn't have all the pieces to. He was almost finished with his task, or as much as he could do of it by himself anyway, when the door next to him and the still unconscious Chester opened unexpectedly for the second time tonight and caused Al to jump, almost upending the bucket filled with dirty water.

He watched as both Granny and Winry appeared this time, the younger of the two closing the door behind her gently once Den trotted out after them. There was a quick and quiet argument that eventually had Winry waving goodbye to Al before heading up to her room to try and catch up on her interrupted sleep. Granny and Den didn't do anything except watch as Winry went upstairs, waiting until they heard the barely audible click that indicated her bedroom door closing before Granny rounded on Alphonse with a glare ferocious enough to make Al tremble.

"I want an explanation now," Pinako ordered, keeping her voice level but forceful. "Don't you dare lie to me or tell me half-truths. Just tell me why you turned up on my front porch as a suit of armour, both of your Animals unconscious and your brother bleeding out and missing two limbs." Granny Pinako was not one to mess with when she was scared and angry and right now, Al could tell she definitely both right now.

"We tried to bring mum back," Al's voice wavering slightly, "and the transmutation failed." Pinako's breath hitched as she processed what he said. "I think it rebounded on us but I don't know what happened. I lost consciousness a couple of seconds after the array turned on us," Al told her. "When I came to; Chester and Ayala were unconscious and Ed was passed out and bleeding so much. I don't know how I became a suit of armour or what happened to Ed. I'm hoping either Chester or Brother will be able to answer those questions for me," Al told her, voice meek and scared. His tone softened Pinako's anger slightly and she sighed internally.

"I warned you boys after Winry found out about her parents death," Granny said. "There are some things alchemy just can't do." Granny shook her head, her disappointment as plain as day and Al hung his head in shame. Granny sighed before deciding she couldn't say or do anything that would punish the two boys more than they'd already been. "Den and I will head over to your house before someone decides to pay you a visit and finds out what you've done. _You_ ," Granny stressed the word, glaring at Al when he went to say something, "will stay here with your brother and the Animals. Re-wet the cloth on his head every hour. He developed a slight fever and I don't want it getting any worse if we can help it. Den and I will be back soon," Granny told him. Al hesitated for a moment before he nodded in agreement and stood up, picked Chester and his bed up and disappeared into the patient room, closing the door carefully behind him. Granny waited for the door to shut before she and Den left her house to deal with whatever mess the boys had created.

* * *

Al's first order of business was to put Chester down and make sure he was comfortable so he placed the bed back next to Ayala, whose breathing was much more even so Al took it as a good sign, and arranged Chester carefully on top of it. He noticed that someone had cleaned Ayala up as well. There was no longer any blood marring her golden fur and Al made a mental note to thank Winry and Granny for cleaning her up. Once his Animal was comfortable, Al turned to his brother and froze in shock.

His brother no longer lay on the surgical table Al had placed him on but had been moved to the patient cot that had been set up on the other side. He had several blankets on him but they only covered him to mid-way up his chest so Al could see the sterile-white bandages that were wrapped around what was left of his right shoulder. There was a very obvious void in the blankets where his brother's lower left leg should've been and Al wished he was capable of crying. Like Granny had told him there would be, there was a clean, white cloth on Ed's forehead and Al immediately took it and re-wet it before placing it gently back on Ed's forehead.

Since neither Animal nor Ed looked like they were going to wake up any time soon, Al made himself as comfortable as possible and sat on the floor next to the Animals so he could keep an eye on them and Ed at the same time, forgoing the chair left next to the patient bed for a patient's loved one to use. He didn't want to break it and have to tell Granny about why it was broken. He wasn't sure he could still perform alchemy in this form and he didn't want to break something only to find he couldn't fix it.

He hoped, for his brother's sake, that Ed would stay unconscious for a day or two and give his body the best chance to heal as much as it possibly could before Ed woke up. Al watched Ed's deep, even breaths for a while as he sat in the room in complete silence, with only the muffled sound of rain on the roof to break it. He continued to wait in silence, switching out the cloth on Ed's forehead every hour like he'd been instructed to do, and hoping that Chester would wake up soon.

* * *

It took nearly another hour, just after Al had switched out the cloth one more time for Ed, for one of his wishes to come true. Movement from his left had Al focusing on his Animal and he watched with bated excitement as Chester started shifting minutely. Al made himself stay completely still, just in case Chester was only going from unconsciousness to sleeping but Chester lifted his head and blinked blearily.

Al watched as his leopard stretched and yawned before he looked around the unfamiliar room, taking in the sterile walls, Ayala and Edward before his eyes landed on Al. Al must've accidentally shifted because the next thing he knew, Chester was on his feet, back arched and hissing at him. Al felt a split second of devastation before he shoved that feeling away because of course Chester didn't know it was him. However, before he could reassure Chester of who he was, recognition flashed in Chester's eyes and the leopard relaxed slightly.

" _Al?"_ Chester asked tentatively through their bond and Al almost laughed with relief. After what Winry had told him about Den's comment on Chester's energy, he'd been a little worried they wouldn't be able to communicate like they should've been able to.

"Yeah, it's me, Chester," Al informed him gently. Chester's hackles lowered and his tail de-puffed before he walked over to Al and started a thorough investigation of his armour, including the inside of it, once Al removed the chest plate. Once done, Chester sat in front of him perplexed.

 _"You've got no body,"_ Chester said blankly, causing Al to chuckle at his straight-to-the-point reaction. _"How did that happen?"_ That caused Al to pause.

"You don't know?" Chester shook his head. "What was the last thing you remember before you lost consciousness?" Al asked.

 _"Well, I remember you two idiots activating that array and everything going to hell. I saw you being torn apart by little black hands until you just disappeared. I heard your screams and I could do nothing to help you. The very last thing I remember seeing is Ed's face when you disappeared right in front of him. I blacked out after that,"_ Chester informed him, glancing over where Ed was laying. Al could only imagine his brother's face.

"You don't remember anything else?" Al pressed. He'd hoped he'd have woken up momentarily when Al regained consciousness in the basement.

 _"No, sorry. It seems like I don't know any more than you do, huh?"_ Chester guessed and Al nodded in agreement. _"There is something else."_ Al would've looked hopeful, if he had a face until he registered the fact that Chester sounded unsure. _"You don't have any of my energy in you."_ Chester looked puzzled, like he couldn't actually believe he was saying that.

"Well, how'd you heal?" Al asked. "If I don't have your energy than where is it?" Al asked before Chester could answer the first question, sounding more confused than Chester had. A jolt of understanding suddenly passed through their bond, coming from Chester. "What is it?" Chester looked at him, debating how to answer.

 _"I don't know exactly how it happened, but my energy is in your brother,"_ Chester told him. _"And I don't mean I'm using Ayala's energy. What I mean is your brother has both Ayala's energy and mine in him. They're still separate so I couldn't use Ayala's even if I wanted too,"_ Chester explained.

All Animals have the ability to sense their own energy. It was how they kept an eye on the level of energy they had left and Chester could sense his inside of Ed. He had no idea how his energy ended up in Edward because he'd never heard of such a thing. Then again, he thought wryly, he'd never heard of an Animal who'd lost their human before getting them back as a suit of armour.

"How is that even possible?" Al gasped. "Brother and I have read every single book we could get our hands on about Spirit Animals and not one single book ever even hinted at an Animals energy being able to be transferred to another human," Al said, shaking his head.

He couldn't believe this was even happening. First, he woke to find himself as a suit of armour, not even properly human anymore. Then he finds his brother severely injured, missing two limbs and bleeding out and now he finds out his Animal isn't even fully his anymore! He wanted to cry and scream at the unfairness of it all but of course he couldn't even do that, thanks to his new body. This was all Ed's fault! Al hadn't even wanted to do that stupid transmutation but he didn't want to disappoint Ed and his older brother had probably used that against and look what happened! He no longer had a flesh and bone body and now he no longer had his Animal!

 _"You're being an idiot! Calm down!"_ Chester shouted at him, destroying Al's urge to punch something. The big cat had nearly been bowled over by the amount of anger and blame being directed at Edward. He knew Alphonse was just reacting out of shock and anger and that he didn't mean it but he wasn't thinking straight and it was Chester's job to make him see sense.

 _"I am no more Ed's Animal than I am Pinako's. I don't know why my energy is in him but I'd have to assume it has something to do with the fact that you don't have a human body,"_ Chester told him once Al was calm enough to listen to him. _"Our energy needs to be kept alive, like a human organ does, which means it needs a human body to host it. Whatever happened must've caused your body to be destroyed and while you somehow managed to come back as a suit of armour, you do not have a human body anymore. My energy needed a human host so whatever happened to get you back obviously also caused my energy to be placed in Edward. If it wasn't, I would be dead,"_ Chester told him bluntly and felt Al's shame. Chester didn't let himself soften towards him though. Alphonse needed to hear everything Chester had to say.

" _Furthermore, this whole situation is not just Edward's fault and you bloody well know it,"_ Chester told him. _"_ You _agreed to go along with the plan and_ you _placed your hands on that array alongside your brother. Edward didn't force you into doing anything which means you are as much at fault for your current situation as Ed, Ayala and I are,"_ Chester spat. _"Do you really think your brother isn't going to blaming himself the moment he wakes up and realises what the price was? You and I both know that Ed's a stubborn, self-blaming moron who will refuse to let you or me or Ayala take any of the blame for what happened."_ Alphonse cringed at his leopard's words because Chester was completely hitting the nail on the head. _"You need to accept the fact that you had an equal part to play in this and you need to take responsibility for it. And I'll tell you something else you might not have noticed but I did,"_ Chester said, voice going low and calm. _"Edward was only missing his leg after you disappeared. His arm was still there when I lost consciousness."_

Al felt like Chester had physically slapped him. He hadn't put that together before now even though that he remembered seeing Ed with only a missing leg just before he disappeared. This meant that whatever Ed did to bring him back – because Ed had to have done something to bring him back because there was no other plausible explanation – cost him his right arm. Alphonse couldn't imagine the amount of pain Ed must've in with his leg missing and Alphonse disappearing right in front of his very eyes. Even though he was in that amount of unimaginable pain, Ed still found the strength to do whatever he'd done to bring Al back, undoubtedly knowing there would be a price to be paid.

Chester was also right in regard to what he'd said about Ed shouldering the blame by himself. He knew that when Ed wakes up after Granny takes him off the sedation he was undoubtedly under and realises what had happened to Alphonse, Chester and himself, he'll refuse to let any of them take any amount of the blame. Alphonse felt disgusted and ashamed of himself for blaming his brother, even for the split second that he'd done so.

* * *

The sound of Pinako approaching her front door, causing the slightest of creaks to sound on her front steps caught Chester's attention and he was quick to warn Al of her imminent arrival. Al ended up being grateful for that warning because apparently Pinako turned into a ninja the moment she entered the house. She would've caused him to jump when she opened the door to Ed's temporary room because he hadn't heard her or Den enter the house.

Once she was in the room, she ignored them in favour of checking on Ed. Den, however, came over and nudged both Chester and Alphonse before he checked on Ayala and reported back to Pinako. Once she was finished checking on Ed's wounds, breathing and fever and deemed them acceptable, only then did she come over to talk with Alphonse. If he hadn't known Granny's tells as well as he did, he would've missed the haunted look in her eyes.

"I've cleaned the evidence up as best I could. The array, what you two made and the blood are all gone," Granny told him. "I've left the books and notes for you to deal with since I couldn't understand what was what."

"What we made? The transmutation failed. We didn't bring anyone back," Al told her, confused. He tried to remember what was in the middle of the room as he was saving his brother and the Animals but he never saw anything. He was sure he would've noticed another human in the room with them though. Granny's face flashed with pity momentarily before her usual stoic expression fell back into place.

"You didn't bring anything _human_ back," Granny corrected him gently and looked a bit sympathetic when Al seemed to recoil in shock. "Whatever you made wasn't human. I couldn't describe what I found even if I wanted to but I know that I'll likely see it in my nightmares. I can only hope Ed never saw it with everything else going on," Pinako said, giving Ed a pitying look where he lay oblivious to everything going on around him. Pinako was clearly finished with the subject and Al would've pressed her for more information only if he was suicidal. Granny Pinako could be more stubborn than his big brother when she wanted to be.

"Anyway," Granny said, startling Al slightly as he hadn't expected her to have anything else to say, "I'm sure Winry told you that I don't plan on moving Ed tonight. If he wakes up before I check on him in the morning, come and get me immediately. I mean it, Alphonse," Granny said sternly. "If he shows any sign of waking up, either you come and get me or you have Chester send Den a message. Understood?" Al and Chester both nodded in agreement and she seemed satisfied. "Good. It's good to see you up, Chester. Try and get some rest," Granny told them before replacing the cloth on Ed's forehead with a fresh one and leaving the room with nothing more said, Den following her closely.

"I'm a horrible brother, aren't I?" Al asked Chester as he looked at his knees. Chester hummed for a moment, contemplating his answer.

 _"Not necessarily,"_ Chester said finally. _"You were angry, scared and upset. It's only natural you lashed out at someone else. I believe that's a typical human quality. I'm sure your brother would understand. Besides, you don't feel that way now right?"_ Chester asked him.

"No, I don't. You were right and I knew that anyway. I guess..." Al trailed off, not really knowing how to finish his sentence. He didn't know what he was thinking when he blamed Edward.

 _"I know. Like I said, you had a normal human response. Something horrible happened to you and you just wanted to blame anyone except yourself and unfortunately Edward was the only one you could lash out at,"_ Chester reassured him. Al hummed in agreement since he knew Chester would have a clearer idea on what he'd been thinking in the moment.

* * *

With nothing left to really discuss, they lapsed into companionable silence for the rest of the night. Every hour, Al got up to change the cloth on Ed's forehead in a bid to keep his fever in check, if not break it outright, then joined his leopard back on the floor to keep watch over his brother and wolf until morning. Edward barely stirred during the night and neither did Ayala but Al wasn't overly worried.

If he used Chester as the baseline for when to expect Ayala up, she wouldn't wake until a couple of hours after Ed did. When Al asked why it had taken Chester so long to wake up, Chester told him it was because he'd been taking his energy from someone unconscious. Despite the fact that he himself was unconscious, Chester told Al that he was instinctively taking the energy at a much slower rate than normal because he knew the human with his energy was also unconscious and therefore, unable to control how much energy was taken.

Chester then went on to explain that this is the only situation where an Animal can take their energy to heal themselves; normally the human needs to initiate the healing but obviously, if the human isn't conscious, they can't. The downside to this was the fact that if the Animal accidentally used more energy than strictly necessary, it would be the human who suffered the consequences. Chester warned Al that Ed would need to be extra careful now if he and Ayala ever needed to be healed at the same time.

"Is there any way we can get your energy back to me?" Al asked concerned. If the Animals got severely injured and Ed had to heal them, he might be left in worse shape than the Animals.

 _"None that I can think of,"_ Chester said before humming for a moment. _"I mean, aside from you getting your human body back by some miracle. That's the only way I can think of,"_ Chester informed him and Al scoffed.

In order for him to get his body back, someone would have to commit human transmutation again and considering how much this failed one cost the both of them, he would never let anyone or himself try another attempt. Unless they could figure out a way to get his body without it costing them so much, Al was content to make do with his current situation and he told Chester just as much. The leopard was in complete agreement and they didn't speak any more on the subject. The next thing they knew, dawn's pale light was breaking through the window in Ed's room and they heard the sounds of Pinako and Den getting up to start their day.

"No movement during the night?" Granny asked as she entered the room and headed for Edward immediately. She start unwrapping Ed's leg wound to look at it and change the bloody bandages for new ones as she waited for the answer.

"He shifted a couple hours after you left but never woke," Al dutifully informed her.

"Ayala?" Granny was all business at the moment.

"She never stirred," Al said. Granny huffed her acknowledgement. She checked the wound, deemed it satisfactory and re-wrapped it with fresh bandages before looking at his arm. Al didn't look any more than he had too. Finally, she was finished with his arm and threw the dirtied wrappings in the waste bin. She checked his temperature and finally smiled a little.

"His fever broke overnight. He no longer has a temperature," she informed Al, who made a small noise of happiness. "I'll leave him here until this afternoon to see if he wakes. We'll have to move him this afternoon either way as I'll need this room if I have any more patients come in. if he doesn't wake before then, he'll not wake until tomorrow," Granny explained and Al nodded. "Winry should be up soon so you and Chester can spend some time with her instead of keeping yourselves locked up in here. Den can stand watch for us," Granny told him. "Before she does wake up though, did Chester fill in any of the gaps?" She looked disappointed when Ed shook his head.

"No, he lost consciousness soon after I did. And I do mean within two or three seconds after me. The last thing he saw was me being torn apart by whatever took Ed's leg." Granny startled a little at the part about him being torn apart but she latched on his last words.

"Just his leg?" Granny's curiousity was peaked. She'd assumed both injuries had happened at the same time.

"Yeah. Chester pointed that out to me last night. Only his leg was missing when I blacked out. When I came to, his arm was gone. We think he used his arm as payment to get my soul back." Al kept his answer as short as possible.

"Yeah, that sounds like something Ed would do," Granny sighed. All Al could do was just nod in agreement.

Granny finished up what she needed to do in Edward's room before informing Al she was going to get herself and Den some breakfast. Al had come to the conclusion only a couple of hours earlier that he no longer needed to eat so he declined Granny's offer of breakfast. She accepted it with no argument, telling Al that she likely had realised what he had, and extended the offer to Chester who, after a check with Al, agreed and followed Den and Pinako out of the room.

* * *

An hour later, Winry could be heard walking down the stairs and Al half-expected her to come and check on them right away but Chester - who had rejoined Al the moment he'd finished his breakfast - reported that he could hear Granny telling her to have breakfast first. It took Winry another fifteen minutes to actually enter the room and check on them herself. She gave Al and Chester a smile and Al realised his guess of Granny catching her up on their condition was right because she didn't look surprised to see Chester up and about.

"No change yet?" She asked, nodding towards Ed.

"No, he and Ayala are still asleep. Granny wants to wait until this afternoon to move him." Winry nodded in understanding.

"Yeah, if he hasn't woken by then he likely won't wake till tomorrow," she said knowingly. Al chuckled slightly.

"Your grandma said the same thing. Guess you've picked up a thing or two," he explained when she gave him a questioning look. She made a silent 'ah' of understanding and smiled kindly at him.

"Do you wanna go for a walk? We don't have to talk about anything but going outside might be good after everything," Winry offered good-naturedly. Al hesitated because what if Ed woke while he was out? Chester injected himself in the conversation before Al could turn down her offer.

 _"Remember Granny said she'd send Den in here? He can contact me if something happens and we'll come back straight away. Going for a walk would be good,"_ Chester reminded him and Al gave in after a couple of moments because Chester was right; being cooped up in here wouldn't be good for him after a while and Ed wasn't likely to wake in the next hour or two.

Hauling himself up, Al glanced at his brother's still form before nodding to Winry and following her and Chester out of the room, leaving Ed and Ayala to their sleep. Winry closed the door softly before leading him and Chester out of the house only after they'd told Granny where they would be going and Al getting her to promise that Den would contact Chester the moment anything happened. In return, they promised to have Chester contact Den if they were going to be longer than the two hours' they said they would be.

* * *

Winry took the lead and they ended up going away from civilisation, up the back of the Rockbell property rather than towards the Elric property of towards town. Alphonse and Chester found themselves grateful for her decision. Neither wanted to deal with curious townsfolk questioning them about Al's new look or where Ed was.

Alphonse finally recognised the place Winry was leading them too. He could soon see the massive, shady tree that they'd sat under dozens of times with the boys' mum and Granny Pinako whenever the two families agreed to catch up and have a picnic. This spot was almost directly between their two properties and they could see both houses from their vantage point. In spring, they would've been surrounded by the most beautiful wildflowers and Al would've grinned at the memories of Winry making flower crowns for everyone – including the boys – and them picking flowers for their mum and Granny.

Winry stayed quiet during the whole walk, only speaking when she asked if both of them were all good or if they wanted to stop for a bit. She didn't mention anything about the previous night, other than to comment about how slippery the rain had made everything. Chester was grateful for that and for the chance to stretch his legs properly and he soon branched away from them to do a proper exploration of the area as the two humans continued up the familiar path.

When they finally reached the top, they sat under the tree while Chester climbed up onto one of the branches and flattened himself along it. Alphonse couldn't help but automatically look for his house and he would admit that he was a little surprised to see that it looked practically the same. Considering the horror that had happened inside of it, it was a little shocking that it looked so unassuming from the outside.

"I told myself I wouldn't ask," Winry began and Al tensed up, "and I won't but I want you to know that if you do wanna talk about it, I'll listen. I guess you already told Granny everything 'cuz she would've made you but I'll listen." She went quiet after that. Al could practically feel the curiosity radiating from her but he didn't say a word as he tossed up his choices.

He could tell her. She would find out about what they'd done eventually as either Granny or Edward would tell her. While he didn't have all the answers so likely wouldn't be able to answer all of her questions, he could tell her about what the starting point to the night's events had been. It wasn't like he didn't trust her to keep it a secret from everyone. She and Granny were their only family and they wouldn't tell the military about what they'd done. The only thing stopping him was that he didn't want to see her disappointment in them and he didn't want to make her cry.

They stayed quiet for a little while, maybe half an hour, before Alphonse made his decision just as Winry looked like she was going to suggest they head back. At his gesture, she settled back down and he started talking. He didn't start from that night but instead started from the day of Trisha and Cleo's funeral, about how Ed had first suggested bringing their mum back. He told her everything they'd done; he didn't get into the specifics of the information they'd read but otherwise he told her everything, ending only when he once he told them about the relief he felt when he heard Granny heading for her front door.

While she'd started out looking like she wanted to lecture him and Ed about thinking about committing human transmutation, her expression slowly turned into one of realisation then horror as he continued talking. Tears spilled down her cheeks in increasing frequency as Al talked about the previous night and he heard her choking on her sobs as he described watching Ed's leg being taken, hearing Ayala's cries of pain, barely hearing Chester's pain-filled screams over his own and Ed's face before he disappeared. She seemed to calm down a little as he told her about waking up in the basement and him rushing the Animals and Ed to her home.

He fell quiet after that, to give her time to process everything he'd said since it was a lot to take in. Even he'd struggled to process everything while he was waiting for Winry and Granny to update him on the Animals and Ed last night and he'd witnessed it all first-hand. Before she could even try to say something, movement above them caught their attention and they looked up to see Chester sitting up. He had his head tilted slightly, as if he was listening to something, before he leapt gracefully out of the tree to land in front of Winry and Al.

 _"Den contacted me. Ed's showing signs of waking up,"_ Chester informed him.

Alphonse was on his feet and pulling Winry along behind him before Chester had managed to finish his sentence. Winry seemed to realise what Chester had told him from his behaviour because she didn't protest the manhandling and just ran alongside with him. The three of them didn't slow down until they were on the front porch and the only reason they entered the house at a calmer pace was because Granny would've killed them if they ran in her house.

* * *

Al and Winry burst into the patient room to find Granny doing some checks on Ed, who was watching her blearily. From the looks of how glazed his golden eyes were, Ed was barely aware of where he was or what was going on around him. He didn't even react to their entry, just nodded his head at Granny, who gently pet his cheek before giving him more painkillers and murmured something to him. Ed just closed his eyes and unconscious before Al or Winry could say or do anything. Granny didn't let them say anything either before she was shooing them out of the room and shutting the door.

"Why didn't you let me speak to him?" Al demanded angrily.

"Did you hear him speaking?" Granny snapped back, causing Al to shrink back. "He was too exhausted and on too many painkillers to speak to anyone! I had to give him more because he almost screamed the house down from how much pain he was still in," Granny informed him coolly. "I'll ease him off of it so he'll wake up more pleasantly next time," she told him reassuringly when he started fidgeting in worry.

"I also didn't let you in there because if he saw you only two things would happen: he wouldn't recognise you and would freak out, potentially hurting himself more, if he saw a suit of armour walking around or he'd recognise you and freak out at what happened to you, potentially hurting himself more," Granny informed him bluntly. "Since he'll wake up a bit nicer next time, I'll let you speak to him then but only if he remembers what happened," she said sternly. "If he doesn't, you'll only see him once I've explained what happened to. Got it?" Alphonse nodded as he ducked his head in shame. Just like he'd done last night, he'd spoken before taking a couple of seconds to make sure his emotions were justified.

"I'm sorry, Granny. I didn't mean to snap at you," Al apologised meekly. Pinako shook her head.

"Of course you did," she snorted, "but don't worry about it. You think you're the first family member to snap at me because I wouldn't let them in while their loved one was coming off of painkillers?" Granny scoffed at him.

Though her words worked to lessen his guilt, he still felt bad and silently promised himself to not react like that again, not just with Granny but with anyone. It wasn't fair to them and they shouldn't have to suffer outbursts like that just because they're used to it. He saw Winry place her hand on his arm in a comforting gesture and – while he appreciated it – the fact that he couldn't feel it wasn't doing anything to cheer up his mood. Chester sent him the mental version of a comforting hug through their bond, which did help.

"Did Ayala wake up?" He changed the subject slightly. Granny relit her pipe now she was away from Ed.

"She tossed a bit when Ed screamed and while he was conscious but no, she never fully awoke." Granny placed the pipe between her teeth and drew in a breath then exhaled the smoke. Al figured her waking fully would've been too much to ask for.

"Can I go back in and sit with him, please?" Granny nodded her agreement and Al went back inside without looking back.

Upon entering the room, Al automatically glanced over at Ed and if he hadn't been told he'd woken up, he would never have guessed. The only difference between how he'd looked now and how he'd looked when Al and Winry had left for their walk was the fact that his top blanket had been removed and he no longer had the washcloth on his forehead. Alphonse felt slightly more morose as he took up his vigil at his brother's side once again and checked on Ayala as Chester got himself settled. She looked the same as before as well and Chester reported that she was still unconscious, not asleep.

They spent a few hours in the patient room doing nothing more than sharing some small talk and staring at nothing. After a couple of hours, Chester curled up on his bed next to Ayala and decided to have a nap but only after he made sure Al would be alright. Alphonse had told Chester not to be silly and get some sleep if he wanted but after three hours of boredom, he'd started regretting that decision. Thankfully it wasn't long before he heard someone approaching the room and he shifted in his place as he watched the door.

"Okay, we're gonna shift Ed to the spare room," Granny told him as she walked into the room. "I need this room for any patients who come in and he'll be more comfortable on that bed," Granny said as she started disconnecting his IV. "He'll need a saline drip put in once he's settled but I'll be weaning him off the sedatives once he's in the room." Guessing Al's thoughts, she continued. "He'll still be on painkillers but I'll be lowering his dosage of that too so that he can wake up. He needs to start moving around before his muscles start to atrophy." Al was standing by this stage, ready to help move Ed.

"How's he gonna do that?" Al was understandably confused. How does someone move when they're missing a leg _and_ an arm? Granny paused in her work to think for a moment.

"We'll have to devise an exercise plan for him. Believe it or not, but there's plenty of small exercises he can do to make sure his muscles don't atrophy. Of course, that is if he doesn't elect to get automail," Granny answered. Al stopped mid-step. Automail? He hadn't even thought about that being an option.

"Isn't he too young for automail? I've never heard of a child getting automail before," Al asked curiously. Knowing his brother, he'd definitely opt to get the automail. Edward was the personification of stubbornness and having automail would help him maintain that stubbornness. He didn't like people fussing over him.

"He'd have to get the ports reinstalled after every major growth spurt since he hasn't finished growing. Of course, this is entirely up to him but automail on children isn't rare. It's uncommon but certainly not rare," Granny told him, a little sadly. She never did like putting automail on kids. "If he got automail, I'd have to take the rest of his shoulder and anchor the port into his collarbone, ribs and shoulder blade. His leg will be taken above what's left of his knee so the port and connection part act as the knee joint," she explained as she finished getting Ed ready for the move. "I'd need to do the installation surgery first and wait a few weeks for his nerves to calm down before he could get his automail limbs connected. Of course, he might not actually want the automail but if I know your brother," she trailed off but Alphonse didn't need her to finish her sentence. But something stopped Al from outright agreeing with her. Granny didn't seem to notice and motioned for him to move Ed.

"He's not going to be the same when he wakes up, is he?" Al asked as he lifted his big brother into his arms and followed Granny out of the patient room. They were going to bring Ayala up once Ed was situated. Granny sighed.

"No, I don't think he is. You and Ayala will have your work cut out for yourselves when he awakens, I imagine," Granny predicted as she reached the top of the stairs and opened the door to her left. Al followed her in and gently placed his brother on the bed situated in the middle of the room. It had been moved from its spot against the wall so that Granny would have better access to his arm. She set him up with a saline drip and arranged the blankets around Ed. "Go on, go get Ayala and her bed. You might as well bring Chester's bed up here too. I guess this is where you'll be staying while your brother recovers." Al nodded and left the room.

When he got back to the patient room, Chester was already up and waiting for him. Al carefully picked Ayala up, careful not to accidentally hurt her since he didn't know his own strength right now before grabbing her bed. Chester helped by dragging his own bed behind him since Al had his arms full with Ayala and her bed. A short march up the stairs and Al had both Animals sleeping quarters sorted and was now waiting patiently for Granny's next set of instructions.

"Alright, I'm leaving the two of you alone until I check up on him before I go to bed. I'm sure Winry will be in before she goes to bed too," Granny warned him. "I've taken him off the sedatives so he'll wake up once they wear off, which should be in a couple hours. If he shows signs of waking before I check on him, you make me aware of it so I can see what he remembers before he see you," Granny told him, leaving no room for argument. She waited for him to nod before continuing. "The painkillers will help take the edge off his pain. He should be relatively pain free in a couple days, a week at the most. Try not to jostle him when he starts waking up though, okay? If he starts fussing but not waking up, I suggest putting Ayala on his right side. She won't hit any wounds if she turns over and her being that close will be soothing for him. Should work a treat." Granny instructed him as she double-checked the bandages she'd put on that morning.

"Is that a good idea? What if she rolls over in her sleep or something and hurts him?" Al questioned her and Granny gave him a flat look.

"Of course I'm sure. If I wasn't, I wouldn't have suggested it," she said curtly and Alphonse cringed. Of course she knew what she was on about. "Ayala will subconsciously know where Ed's hurt and avoid his injuries. It would be the same the other way around. Plus, if she's next to him, it'll help him feel better. It's got something to do with the bond. Some alchemist's probably explained it but I don't much care for reading about alchemy," Granny explained as she finished checking Ed. Apparently satisfied, she turned to leave.

"Thank you, Granny," Al near whispered, "for looking after him." Pinako waved his thanks off with a smile and left the two boys and their Animals alone while she went to clean the room Ed had been in with a parting reminder to come and get her immediately if Ed started to wake up.

* * *

Once Granny had left the room, Al made himself as comfortable as he could. The upside to being in this room was that there were some books in here that they'd left during their visits so they'd have something to read if they forgot their own books. Grabbing a stack, Al opened one and started reading while Chester started to groom himself. Ayala and Ed continued to sleep soundly but this time, because of the lack of sedation, Ed was a lot more active than he had been.

No one came up until after when Winry and Granny normally sat down and had dinner. Winry came in when it had gotten proper dark outside and Al had been forced to turn on a lamp so he could continue reading. Judging from her damp hair and scowl, Granny had ordered her to go for a shower before she went into the room and considering Winry had been in her workshop after their walk and likely covered in grease and grime, Al was thankful for Ed's sake that Granny had made her shower.

Winry entertained him for a couple of hours with detailed descriptions of what she'd been up to in the workshop. She apprehensively informed him that she'd even been playing around with some blueprints for an automail arm and leg for Ed, if he wanted them installed. She then nervously rambled on, saying that Ed wouldn't _have_ to have automail installed just because she was planning on building him a set and that if he didn't want them, it would still be good practise for her and Al put her out of her misery by telling her he thought it was really nice of her to be thinking of Ed's options. That put her at ease and their conversation continued in a much smoother fashion until Granny came in to check on Ed before retiring for the night and ordering Winry to bed.

Their childhood friend went with some fussing but Granny wouldn't budge so she eventually admitted defeat and grumbled a goodnight to them before leaving. Granny wasn't surprised when Al reported that Edward had been moving and shifting but he hadn't shown any other sign of waking up. She explained that he'd only just come off the sedative so it wouldn't have completely worked its way out of his system yet. That plus the fact that Ed was still on the painkillers meant it would take longer for him to wake up. Once again, Granny warned him to come and get her before Ed fully awoke so she could talk to him first and explain the situation if need be and both Chester and Al promised once more to do as she said. Satisfied, she bade them goodnight and left the room, telling Al that there was food in the kitchen if he or Chester were hungry and to help themselves.

Al immediately felt horribly guilty because he'd completely forgotten that he was the only one who didn't need to eat now. Chester was still a flesh and blood animal and therefore he needed food so he wouldn't drain his special energy. Chester had been quick to inform him that he didn't mind because he hadn't had an appetite all day and he would've told Alphonse if he was hungry and couldn't get food himself. They headed downstairs right away so that Chester could eat his fill before they decided that a quick walk would do them some good. Al didn't want to stray too far from the house just in case and Chester completely understood so they walked to the end of the driveway and back before heading back upstairs.

To Al's relief and disappointment, Ed was still fast asleep, as was Ayala, when he and Chester entered the bedroom once more. They got themselves settled in the same spots as before and set in to wait for Ed to shake off the remaining sedation. Chester and Al decided to pass the time by playing some games like 20 questions, chatting about insignificant things and quizzing each other rather than just reading, napping or watching the clock on the wall tick by slowly.

* * *

Around 2:30am, movement caught Al's attention and he looked hopefully at his brother's bed. Chester woke up from his nap, sensing Al's hope, and he also focused on the bed-ridden boy. At first, Al thought it had been a trick of his mind but then Ed started squirming far more than usual and Al felt his hopes go up further. It wasn't until he saw a flash of gold as Ed's eyes half-opened then closed that Al instructed Chester to wake Granny up. After a few moments, Chester passed on a message from Den telling them to leave the room.

Just as they opened the door quietly and stepped out of the room, Granny and Den appeared. A stern look from Granny told them exactly what would happen if they tried to follow them in without her needing to use words. She did leave the door open so they could listen in though and they watched through the gap as Granny approached the bed.

* * *

Ed felt heavy. That was all he could think as he struggled to get his eyes to open so he could see where he was. He felt dazed and confused and he didn't understand why he had to fight to keep his eyes open. His limbs were sluggish and difficult to move. He heard someone moving around in the room he was in and when he finally managed to open his eyes, he recognised the spare room in Granny's house and identified Granny as the one walking around. This just added to his confusion as the last thing he remembered was being in his own house.

"Granny?" Ed asked, voice immensely perplexed. "Where am I? What-" His golden eyes bulged as the horrific events flashed through his mind and Pinako knew he was recalling the events that landed him here. "Where's Al?! The Animals?!" Granny made a gesture for him to settle when Ed spotted Al's armour standing near the door and recognition flashed across his face. "Al? Is that you?" His voice was croaky from disuse and Granny was quick to grab the cup of water from the bedside she'd had the foresight to put there for him to drink. He took some sips as he waited for Al to speak.

"It's me, brother," Al confirmed solemnly. Ed tried to sit up but both Granny and the pain stopped him.

"Don't strain yourself, Ed. You've done a lot of damage to your body. Al and I'll explain what we can but only if you stay still. Alright?" She offered as a compromise and Edward accepted. Granny took a breath and started talking.

"Firstly, both of the Animals are completely fine," Granny told him and Ed breathed a sigh of relief. "Ayala is still unconscious but we didn't expect her to awake before you did. Chester is also fine," she told him and now that he'd calmed down a little, Ed could feel Ayala through their bond. "As you can see, Al is fine, in the loosest definition of the word," Granny said, waving a back in Al's direction and Ed had a feeling he knew what was coming next.

"Now, I don't know much beyond what Al has told me but you two idiots decided to go and perform an array that was taboo for a reason and it failed spectacularly," Granny said bluntly. "It was always going to fail. You boys may be geniuses but you are complete idiots for thinking you could do what hundreds of alchemists have failed at before," Granny informed them and both couldn't argue with her point. "But that's beside the point. Can't change the past now." Granny's anger at their stupidity was still evident and Edward cringed at her disappointment. She noticed and sighed before continuing.

"Al could only remember up until he was taken and Chester doesn't remember much more. Apparently, the transmutation rebounded and from what we can gather, it took most of your left leg," Edward looked down to see the blanket lying flat where his leg was supposed to be and Granny's voice softened as she delivered the news that would be the hardest, " and Al lost his whole body. We don't know what you did or whether _you_ did anything but somehow Alphonse is now that suit of armour. We think that if it was you, it cost you your right arm." Ed hung his head as he absorbed this information and tried to sort through the pieces he could remember until he could recall the events from that night.

He could remember everything and he told them everything. The storm, the alchemic energy changing colours, the little black hands. Ayala howls of pains mixing with his own screams as his leg was taken. Alphonse disintegrating in front of him, Chester collapsing. The white space and Truth's spine-chilling voice. All that knowledge being crammed into his head. Chester's breathing and that warm spark of hope. Ayala giving him permission and the clang of the armour as it fell. Drawing the blood array and pleading for his brother to be given back to him. The pain of his right arm being torn away disappearing as he collapsed.

He looked up at them and started talking now that he had all the events in order. He told them everything that had happened from the moment Al disappeared to the moment he collapsed. The only thing he didn't tell them about was Truth and his world. If Al could remember it and hadn't told Granny or Winry, Ed wanted to know why. If Al didn't remember it, Ed wanted to tell him when they were by themselves.

Ed finally finished filling in the gaps and waited for their reactions. Granny looked ashen and her face was slack with shock. Edward couldn't even tell what Al was thinking. It finally hit him in that moment and he fully processed what he'd done to his little brother. Tears slowly dripped from the corners of his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Al, I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have pushed you into doing the transmutation. I should've listened!" Ed sobbed, not bothering to hide his tears. "Now you're stuck in that armour! You can't do anything in it! You can't feel people touching you, you can't eat, you can't sleep and it's all my fault! I'm sorry, little brother. I failed you and I failed mum. I promised to look out for you and look at what I did!" Edward sobbed, his voice rising hysterically. Al felt a pang of guilt as he remembered his outburst in the hours just after the rebound. He hurried to his brother's side, not worrying about the noise he made.

"No, Brother," Al disagreed. "It's not just your fault. I agreed to it, remember? I helped activate it. It's my fault too." Edward went to interrupt but Al stopped him. "If you hadn't bonded my soul to this armour, I'd be dead and so would Chester. You saved both our lives! You went through an unbelievable amount of pain just to get me back! I don't blame you, Brother. Please try not to blame yourself," Al begged, refusing to let Ed shoulder the blame if he could help it.

Edward's sobs had faded to sniffles while he listened to his little brother. Tears still rolled down his face but Al knew what he said had gotten through, for the most part. It probably wouldn't change Ed's mind but he now at least knew that Al didn't blame him in the slightest and that would have to do for now. Granny watched the brother's exchange with sad eyes. It'd be a tough road ahead for both of them but they'd have each other, at least.

"Okay, that's enough excitement for tonight," she said decisively. "Ed, I got rid of the evidence and locked the house up so no one can get in so don't you start worrying about that. You need to get some more sleep. Hopefully when you wake up next, Ayala will join you," Granny told him as she started fussing with Ed's bedding. "You hear that, Alphonse? He needs sleep." Edward and Alphonse both knew better than to go against Granny's orders. Chester nudged Al mentally to get his attention.

 _"Tell Edward that I don't blame him either,"_ he requested. Alphonse was about to repeat what Chester said when he saw Ed looking at Chester like he'd never seen him before.

"What's wrong, Brother?" Chester didn't look any different to him so Al was completely unsure as to why Chester was on the end of that look.

"Did Chester just speak to you?" Ed asked, voice wavering in disbelief and uncertainty. Al nodded, unsure of why Ed was asking. "Chester, can you speak to Al again, please?" Chester looked as confused as Al felt but humoured the blonde.

 _"Do you know why he's asking me to do this?"_ Chester asked Al but Al didn't get a chance to answer.

"Holy crap!" Edward exclaimed, eyes bulging out of his head. "I can hear Chester!"

 **A/N - here's the amended chapter 6 for everyone!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7-**

If Ed wasn't in shock himself, he would've laughed at the gaping expressions Granny, Al and Chester sported after his announcement that he could hear Chester. He was now sitting completely up in bed, ignoring any and all pain, so he could stare at Chester like he was trying to figure out whether Chester was playing a trick on him. Al felt like he'd been struck and that despicable hate he'd felt when Chester confirmed his energy was in Ed flared again before Al stomped it out.

"You can hear Chester? Like you can Ayala?" Al sounded like he was going to faint. He could feel the complete confusion radiating from Chester. Apparently, his Animal had no clue either. "How is that even possible?" He asked when Ed's shaky nod answered his first two questions.

Ed opened his mouth once, twice, but each time no noise came out and Al would've teased him for not knowing everything if it was a different situation. Even Granny looked stumped and Chester was as much help as them. Al was a little annoyed that Ed didn't know the answer but when he looked at his brother's face, he recognised the expression. His brother was thinking about all the relevant data he had and was forming a theory.

"How did Chester heal himself?" Ed's question threw Al.

"What? Why's that important?" Al's brain wasn't currently over the shock so it wasn't trying to make big intelligent leaps at the moment. Ed stared him down until he relented. "He said his energy is stored in you, like Ayala's only his is separate from hers. He can't use hers and vice versa." Edward nodded, like he expected that answer.

"I think something happened when I brought your soul back. I don't know how to put it exactly but I think our souls are connected, I guess?" Ed made a face, evidently not happy with his wording but continued. "Spirit Animal energy needs a human host to work so when I brought your soul back – the part of the human the physical Animal is attached to – I must've also unknowingly made myself Chester's energy holder. That would explain why his energy is in me. His energy got attached to me because I could only bring your soul back," Edward explained and something in Al's mind clicked. That actually made a lot of sense but that still didn't answer the second question regarding Chester.

"Is that also the reason you can hear him?" Al asked but Ed shook his head.

"No, it isn't," Ed said and Al bit back a growl of impatience. "Their energy is only used for emergency food or healing for the Animal. It doesn't play a part in Animal's being able to speak, to their human or other Animals because if it did, human's would've felt the draining energy whenever the Animal spoke to them or other Animals." Again, Al could see the logic behind that. After centuries of researchers dedicating their lives to uncovering all of the secrets behind the bond, Al thought it was extremely unlikely that _none_ of them had noticed the Animal's energy level dropping as it spoke to its human. Next to Al, Granny was nodding in agreement.

"So why-?" Al started to ask but Ed cut him off.

"Granny, can you get Den to talk? Please?" Edward asked. Pinako's eyebrows almost flew off her face in surprise but she nudged Den awake since he'd somehow managed to stay asleep through all of the excitement.

 _"What?"_ Den grumbled as he got to his feet in annoyance. _"I was sleeping."_ He glared at Granny.

"I can hear him too!" Den turned to face Edward, who was looking at him in wonder and confusion.

 _"Say what?!"_ Den exclaimed loudly, causing Ed and Granny to flinch. _"How come you can hear me all of a sudden? It shouldn't be possible for a human to hear an Animal they aren't bonded to."_

"I don't understand either. Can either of you think of a reason I can hear both of you?" Edward asked. Both Chester and Den looked at each other but neither could think of anything that would explain Ed's new ability.

 _"No, we've got no clue,"_ Chester admitted. Edward looked crestfallen. _"It's like you've got the Spirit Animal side of the bond, at least when it comes to the telepathy side of things."_

"What do you mean by that last part?" Edward asked, excitement bubbling in the pit of his gut.

 _"Well, in simplest terms? Think of our telepathy as a telephone. Humans only ever have the one number to 'call' and that belongs to their Animal. Humans can't 'call' each other and they can't talk to other Animals because they don't possess their numbers,"_ Chester explained and could tell Den was explaining it in similar terms to his human. _"So, before today, you only had Ayala's number so she was the only one you could call. Same goes for Alphonse and me and Den and Pinako."_ Both boys nodded in understanding. _"It's a different story for Animals. While humans only possess their Animal's number, all Spirit Animals can connect to each other. I can talk to Den and Ayala and any other Animal I come across but I shouldn't be able to talk to you because Animals can't talk to a human they aren't bonded to."_ Chester waited for a moment, just to make sure they hadn't gotten confused before wrapping his idea up. _"Somehow, you're able to talk to us now. It's like you've been given our phonebook, if you will, and you can call any number on it. We can answer you if we chose to, even though you're not our bonded human. The only thing I don't understand is_ why _you've gotten our phonebook,"_ Chester said and Edward had to admit that the explanation made sense. It didn't answer the question of why he now had this ability. The only thing he could think of was that somehow it had something to do with Truth. He couldn't recall every single piece of information he'd had crammed into his brain but he could sense it all.

"Okay, that's enough for tonight. I don't care how this happened and I don't care why," Granny told them. "You, Edward Elric, need to get some sleep. You've still got a massive amount of healing to do and sleeping is very good for that. I'll give you some painkillers to get you through the rest of the night," Granny said as she moved to do just that. "You lot can continue this discussion in the morning, assuming you're in good enough shape for it," Granny ordered, giving Ed the shot of morphine and pressing on his good shoulder to get him to lie down so he was comfortable.

"I don't wanna sleep. I need to talk to Al more." Ed knew he was whining but he didn't care. He needed to apologise to Al properly, while he wasn't doped up.

"Granny's right, Brother. You need some sleep. Whatever it is, it can wait until you wake up. Okay?" Ed barely hid the flinch he felt every time he heard his little brothers voice. It sounded like him but tinny. It sounded wrong. Unfortunately, Edward knew arguing would get him absolutely nowhere and not just because he was feeling the drowsy side effect of the painkillers but because Granny and Alphonse were as stubborn as mules. He locked gazes with his little brother.

"I'm sorry about everything, Alphonse. I'll fix it somehow," Ed swore before the morphine took effect and knocked him out before Al could respond.

* * *

Al watched as Ed settled into a deep sleep. His breathing wasn't the nice, even breathing it had been before but was now laboured, like he'd just been running. Alphonse realised that his breathing was because of how much pain his brother was in. Even if he'd stayed still during their whole talk, Ed would've been in immense pain but his brother had aggravated his injuries when he'd sat up suddenly after he apparently heard Chester talking. Al wasn't really surprised that his brother had thrown out Granny's advice to stay still when he heard Chester; Al would've done the exact same thing if he'd suddenly heard Ayala or Den in his mind.

Alphonse also wouldn't be surprised if, once his brother was awake again, Al would have to fight with Ed about who was to blame. Al knew his job of convincing his brother would be made a bit easier thanks to Chester and – if she was awake by then – Ayala but it would still be a massive job. Edward was very stubborn and if he didn't want to let someone take the blame for something, they wouldn't. He barely heard and responded to Granny passing on goodnight wishes from herself and Den as he pulled up the blankets on his brother's bed so Ed wouldn't get cold during the night. He was too busy thinking of ways he could try and convince Ed that he had equal blame in what happened to them. Once he finished fussing over his brother, Al went and sat next to Chester and Ayala and silence reigned for all of a minute.

 _"What a weird night."_ Al snorted involuntarily.

"You said it. I can't believe he can hear you and all the other Animals." Chester looked at his human.

He could sense the lingering shock in Al's mind but he could also sense the dampened jealousy and almost childish belief of how unfair it was that Al was doing a valiant job of trying not to feel. Chester didn't blame Alphonse for having those feelings though. After everything the boys went through, Ed ended up with 2 missing limbs but gained an unknowable amount of knowledge _and_ an ability that literally no one else has ever had while Al ended up stuck as a soul bound to a suit of armour that couldn't physically feel, eat, sleep or do anything a human body could. Chester could understand why Al felt like he'd paid the biggest share of the price of the failed transmutation and had gotten nothing in return. However, Chester felt like Ed had been holding something back from them and the leopard wanted to know what.

"You wanna know the weirdest part?" Al's question brought Chester out of his musing.

 _"There's a weirdest part to this night?"_ Chester asked dryly. Al chuckled.

"Yeah. Ed doesn't know why he can suddenly hear other Animals." Chester waited but Al had obviously thought that was enough of an explanation because he didn't expand on his answer.

 _"How is that weird? I don't even know why he can hear us,"_ Chester asked.

"Because Brother knows everything," Al told him, "and even if he doesn't know right away, he always knows which book or books we could find the answer in. If he can't even give us a book to have a look at, it means he really has no clue why he can talk to all of you," Alphonse pointed out.

 _"Good point except for the fact that the answer won't be in any book. Nothing like this has ever happened in the history of humans and Spirit Animals,"_ Chester informed him.

"How do you know? Spirit Animals bonding to humans has been happening for, well, forever. Isn't it possible this has happened before?" Al asked.

" _I know this because all Spirit Animals are brought into existence with the acquired knowledge of every Spirit Animal before us,"_ Chester revealed. _"It's how we know that for a bond to be complete, we have to give our human our name. it's how we know how to shapeshift if we need to. It's how we know everything we can expect – no matter how rare – from our bond,"_ Chester explained and Al listened, enraptured by the new information. _"If a human had ever been able to speak to every single Animal before, not just their own, I would know about it because of this. The fact that neither Den nor I had ever heard about this being even remotely possible means that it's never happened before in our history."_ Al would've gaped if he was capable of it.

"Well, maybe it was the transmutation? Maybe something happened to Ed while he was forced through the Gate." Ed had told them about going through the Gate of Knowledge, just not about Truth. Alphonse knew his brother was still hiding something about that but right now he was unable to ask Ed anything more about it. Now, Al was grasping at any straw he could grab to try and make sense of this whole situation. He never had liked not knowing everything about something.

" _You two are not the first to have attempted human transmutation, you are merely the first to come out of the experience alive,"_ Chester reminded him coolly. _"If anyone who had committed the taboo before you and somehow_ had _survived and never told anyone what they'd done, they still never gained the ability your brother has from the Gate of Knowledge because, like I said, all Animals created after that event would know about it. If the transmutation_ was _the reason Ed gained this ability, he's the only human who's ever gained that knowledge."_ Al looked crestfallen when he realised Chester's reasoning was sound.

"So, will Ed now have every Animal in his head? Will he have them talking in it all the time now?" Al asked, no longer envying his brother at the idea of it. Having that many voices in your head at once would not be fun.

" _That's a good question,"_ Chester said as he thought about his answer. _"As you know, normally the only voice a human hears in their head is the one that belongs to their bonded Animal. Animals, on the other hand, can talk to all other Animals. I think we really need to start thinking of Ed more as a Spirit Animal when it comes to his new ability,"_ Chester told him. _"If it works how my telepathy works than, no, Ed won't have dozens of voices in his head at the one time."_ Chester waited to see if Al was going to ask anything but his human seemed happy to let Chester talk uninterrupted. _"As an Animal, I can talk to multiple other Spirit Animals at one time, like how a human has a conversation with multiple other people, only we don't speak out loud. Having said that, if I wanted to talk to, say, Ayala without Den overhearing us, I can simply not include him in the conversation. I believe I would liken it to how you and Ed sometimes walk away from Pinako and Winry to have a private conversation. If need be, I can block Den from my mind temporarily so he can't overhear me and Ayala accidentally,"_ Chester explained and Al nodded.

" _Now, normally I wouldn't have to worry about blocking someone when I'm talking to you because no other Animal can overhear an Animal's conversation with their bonded human. Now that Ed can talk to me and other Animals and not just Ayala, I'm not sure whether he will be able to overhear you and I talking or whether he will instinctively know to block other Animals from overhearing him when he converses with one of us. We'll only know for sure when we're able to test all of this when Ed wakes up. Then we'll know for certain the extent of his new ability,"_ Chester told him and Al felt relief as he realised his brother wouldn't be driven insane by dozens of voices in his head.

"Good, I was a little worried about that," Al admitted and Chester could understand that fear.

" _Like I said, we won't know what he already instinctively knows about this ability until he wakes up and we can test it. Den and I can help him learn what he needs to and since none of it involves Ed physically doing something, we can start immediately,"_ Chester told him and Al hummed in agreement before they lapsed into silence for a few seconds. _"We'll probably have to wait for Ayala to wake up though,"_ Chester said, breaking the silence.

"Why?" Al asked confused. Surely Ed wouldn't want to learn to block his own Animal mentally so why was Chester suggesting they wait for her to be awake?

" _Because it would be easier to start with Ed learning to block other Animals if he was focusing on only Ayala's voice. Once he can do that, we can move on to him blocking voices even when he isn't talking to any Animal, with the exception of Ayala's voice. Again, this is only if Ed doesn't possess the instinctive knowledge needed to do this automatically,"_ Chester told Al, who didn't really seem to be quite getting it just yet. _"Okay, you know when you and Edward get really into a topic you're discussing, like alchemy, and you manage to block out Winry when she tries to talk to you? Or when the two of you are sparring and I have to yell at you through the bond to get your attention?"_ Chester asked and Al nodded a little sheepishly. _"Well, it's similar to that. You and Ed are so comfortable with each other that you'll block anyone you don't see as a threat when the two of you are completely focused on something. Having Ed focus on Ayala will make it easier for him to block me or Den. But again, like I already said, he may already know how to do this and all we need to do is help him recognise those skills so he can apply them."_ Al nodded in understanding then and leaned back against the wall.

"I get you now," Al told him before glancing at Ayala. "Hopefully Ayala will be waking up soon. I mean, Ed's only asleep now, not unconscious, and you woke up a couple of hours after everything. Ed's been conscious for a couple of hours now so it shouldn't be too long, right?" Al asked and Chester shrugged.

" _I wouldn't get my hopes up too much. You were gone for maybe 10 minutes, 15 tops. Ed's been unconscious for a little over 36 hours and he was only awake for maybe 20 minutes. He might not have been awake long enough for Ayala to register that her human had regained consciousness. She might not wake up until morning. Having said that, I could be wrong and Ayala could wake up in a couple of minutes but we do have to take into account that Ed suffered two major injuries at different times,"_ Chester told him.

"What do you mean?" Al asked and Chester shrugged.

" _Just that we really don't know how that will affect the state of her mind. She might be out if longer than I was because Ed suffered his wounds at different times or she could wake up sooner than I expect because Ed spent the time he was awake funnelling more healing energy to her rather than her taking it slowly,"_ Chester told him. _"My point is, don't use our situation as a baseline to judge their situation from. Ours was vastly different from theirs so you can't expect them to follow the same script as us,"_ Chester informed him and Alphonse found himself taken aback. He hadn't even fully realised that he'd been doing that and mentally berated himself for it.

"I didn't even think about that. That's pretty stupid of me, hey?" Al chuckled sadly. He was supposed to be nearly as smart as his brother and he didn't even spot that. How pathetic.

 _"Don't worry about it. I'm sure your brother would've missed it too, if the situations had been reversed,"_ Chester soothed. Al wasn't convinced but admitted Chester could've had a point. Al lay his hand on Chester's head and gave him a scratch behind his ears.

"You should get some sleep. I'll keep an eye on him and you need rest if you're going to attempt teaching my brother," Al told him.

Because Chester knew Alphonse wasn't exaggerating and that he would likely need a lot of patience and rest to deal with Edward if he woke up in an unhelpful mood, he curled up on his bed, leaning up against Al's giant thigh and fell asleep quickly. Alphonse watched as Chester's breathing settled into the even pattern that indicated he was actually asleep and felt himself relaxing as he continued watching the almost-hypnotic rhythm of Chester's breathing.

* * *

Only once he was certain Chester was properly asleep did Al let all of the emotions he'd been squashing down flow into him so he could deal with them. He hadn't even realised that he'd been scared that Ed wouldn't wake up until his brother actually had and the massive flood of relief had almost knocked Al on his arse. He knew his jealousy and other negative emotions he'd felt when Ed had told them about being able to hear Chester and Den were irrational and uncalled for so he dismissed them almost immediately.

Once he'd worked his way through the negative emotions, he focussed on the positive ones; specifically, how grateful he was that Ed woke up, that he remembered and that he seemed alright. He knew that it could've been a completely different story if he'd not woken up when he did in the basement or if Ed had managed to contract an infection or if any number of small things hadn't worked in their favour. Shaking his head slightly, Al decided to simply to focus on the fact that they had survived the whole experience and not ended up like the alchemists they'd read about who'd attempted human transmutation and hadn't survived.

Al just wished he'd tried harder to talk Ed out of activating that array. If he hadn't ignored his gut feeling telling him that it was a bad idea and put his foot down, they wouldn't be in this position. The worst part was that he knew _why_ he hadn't tried harder; he didn't want to upset Ed and have him mad at him for the next week. Al scoffed at his idiotic self. He'd managed to avoid having Ed upset at him for a couple of days and now would have to spend the foreseeable future trying to get Ed to stop beating himself up for something that wasn't entirely his fault. Job well done right there.

Alphonse had eventually pulled himself completely out of that headspace and spent the next few hours staring at nothing as he waited for Ayala or Ed to wake up. His non-thinking was broken only when he heard the slightest creak from his left, indicating the door was being open. A glance out the window told him the sun was well and truly up, telling him it was a brand-new day. He turned to the door, a greeting for Granny at the ready, only to find himself looking at Winry. Getting over his shock, Al beckoned the waiting blonde into the room and shifted himself slightly so that Winry could sit in between Chester and him.

She walked over quietly, giving Ed a few glances, checking she hadn't woken him before settling herself gracefully in the spot Al had gestured to. "How's he doing?" Winry asked, keeping her voice low as she spoke.

"Good," Al whispered back. "He woke up briefly last night," Al said before cutting off any response she was going to make. "He filled us in on everything we didn't know about that night and we also found out that he can apparently hear Chester and Den when they speak. So, you know, that was fun." Winry looked as shocked as Al had felt upon finding out last night's discovery.

"Seriously? He can hear them like he can hear Ayala? Could you?" Winry couldn't believe it. It was something she had literally never heard of before.

"Yup, yup and no," Al answered simply. Chester twitched in his sleep and Al signalled for them to lower their voices again.

"Well. I mean, that's just," Winry struggled with her words for a moment, "unbelievable. I guess that's kinda understating it." Al snorted.

"Just a little," he whispered, amused. "We didn't wake you with all the excitement last night, did we?"

"Nah, I was dead to the world," Winry assured him. "Did Granny give him painkillers so he'd go back to sleep?" She asked, nodding towards Ed.

"Yeah. Only way to make him go back to sleep. Plus, the pain was getting worse the more he stayed awake. I could tell," Al told her. Winry nodded knowingly.

"Makes sense," Winry said. "Not just about the pain part but you and I both know that Edward would've wanted to explore his newfound ability until he knew everything about it instead of doing something 'useless' like sleeping so he'd recover faster." Al couldn't stop the giggle that escaped at how accurate Winry was.

Just as Winry flashed him a bright smile, Chester growled – making them jump – and gave them an ultimatum: either they shut up and stop disturbing his sleep or they go away and talk. Al passed along the message and they decided that heading downstairs would be for the best but only after Al made Chester promise to tell him when Ed woke up. Once they'd gotten the leopard's word, the two headed down to the kitchen where Al made himself useful and got Winry and Granny, who had been in the kitchen when they got there, a cup of their favoured hot beverage before he sat at the table.

"So, Ed filled you in on the details you couldn't remember, right?" Winry asked Al once he was seated, ignoring Pinako's hiss to leave it.

Al knew she'd been burning with curiousity since he told her that Ed had filled them in, despite how casual she was trying to be right now. Granny didn't say anything, leaving it up to Al whether he told Winry what Ed had said. There were a few moments where Al debated whether Winry should hear it from Ed himself but then decided he didn't want to his brother to have to talk about that night as soon as he woke up. So, Alphonse took it upon himself to fill Winry in on everything Ed had told him and Granny. Alphonse knew it would happen but he still felt bad when Winry started crying and once he finished filling in the blanks, Alphonse stayed quiet, unsure of what to do now.

"So, Al, I'm guessing since you're down here, Ed hasn't woken at all since last night?" Granny asked, taking a small amount of pity on the youngest Elric and changing the subject.

"No, he hasn't. Chester's keeping an eye on him for me," Alphonse confirmed, his relief obvious at her question. Winry sniffled as she tried to pull herself together.

"I figured. I did dose him up as much as I could," Granny told him. "What about Ayala? Any sign of her waking up?" Granny took a sip of her tea while waiting for Al's answer.

"No. I mean, she did move about a bit but she hasn't woken fully," Al reported. Granny frowned at that. Al didn't miss the expression "Is that a bad thing?" Al asked, worriedly.

"No, I suppose not. It is unusual that she hasn't woken up completely yet but she could be feeling the painkillers effects as well. Some Animals who are closely bonded with their humans do and she and Ed are two of the closest I've ever witnessed. Even your mother and father weren't as close to their Animals as you and Ed are," Granny divulged. Al perked up slightly at the mention of his father. Obviously, it was a taboo subject in the Elric household, even before their mother's death.

"Really? I knew mum and Cleo were really close but I don't remember anything about dad though. I don't even know what his Animal was," Al said morosely. Granny was silent for a moment.

"Your mum and Cleo were as close as Den and I are, if not slightly more. Cleo always seemed to know just when your mother needed comfort or space. She knew what Trisha wanted even without her asking. She helped look after you kids and she even tried to get along with Den on the rare occasions they were near each other," Granny told him and both he and Winry fell silent as she spoke. It was very rare these days for Pinako to talk about either Trisha or Hohenheim. "Your father had big, beautiful dapple-grey Percheron stallion. That horse was one of the gentlest creatures I've ever met. When you two were little, before your father left, that horse let you climb like monkeys all over him. I think his name was Calix but Hohenheim told us he preferred to be called 'Cal'. He was a funny Animal. Den always said that he smelt old, like a museum or something," Granny recalled.

"But that horse loved you boys. I remember when Ed was born and started walking. Trisha was due to give birth to you any day when he learned and she was terrified that Cal was going to stand on him. One day when your mum's back was turned, Ed walked right out the door and headed straight for Cal. When your mum realised Ed had gone outside, she panicked and ran as fast as she could only to find Ed curled up against Cal's side." Al laughed at the image of little Ed curled up against this massive horse. "Your mother was a little laxer after that. Hohenheim had told her that Cal knew about Ed being able to walk around and had kept extra vigilant for the day that he toddled out the door. You were nearly 4 when your dad left. Surely you can remember them, even a little bit?" Granny never knew about Al's lack of memories. Ed had a few but he never talked about his father and Trisha hadn't brought the subject up unless one of the boys, usually Al, did.

"No, I don't remember him at all," Al said sadly. "If it weren't for the few pictures we have of him, I wouldn't know what he looked like. We don't even have photos of his Animal," Al told her. Granny drained her teacup and went over to her picture board. After searching for a bit, she finally spotted the photo she wanted. It was almost completely covered by another photo. She handed it over to Al, who took it carefully.

"If I'd known you couldn't remember, I'd have shown it to you years ago." Al barely heard her. It was a picture of his father, Ed sitting on his shoulder, his mother who was holding him, and their two Animals. He recognised Cleo immediately. She was sitting at her humans feet and behind them all stood a massive horse. He was a beautiful creature. The photo showed off his colouring well. His father stood just a bit taller than his wither, his mane and tail were dark and he was almost black in his darkest spots but he was magnificent. And Al couldn't remember him at all. He looked at the photo a little longer before looking up at Granny.

"Thank you for showing me this, Granny," he said sincerely as he made to hand the picture back. She waved him off though.

"No, you keep it. You can show Ed when he wakes up, see if he remembers Cal at all," she said dismissively. Al would've grinned if he could've but he did the only thing he could; he offered her a grateful thanks. Chester's voice sounded in his head almost immediately after Granny returned his unseen smile.

 _"Hey, Ayala's waking up,"_ Chester told him and Al stood up immediately." _You should probably get up here so Pinako can tell her Ed's condition and so she knows what you look like now. Tell Winry to wait a bit. We don't want to overwhelm the wolf."_ Al immediately passed on the message even as he started making his way to the stairs. Winry looked hurt that she wasn't allowed in until Granny told her that she could visit once Ayala had time to adjust.

* * *

Granny and Al managed to enter the room just as Ayala opened her golden eyes. Chester was waiting nearby and the three of them watched as Ayala struggled through the fog that was undoubtedly in her brain. They knew the moment she had recalled everything when her eyes opened impossibly wide and she bolted upright. A look around had her spotting the bed Ed was currently occupying and if Alphonse hadn't figured out what she was about to do, no one would've been able to stop her when she launched herself at the bed.

As it was, Al had figured her next move out and stepped forward to intercept her. She instinctively slid to a stop and went to snarl at the person blocking her path to her injured human when her brain registered what she was actually seeing and she scrambled back a little, mouth still in a snarl, as she took in the armour that was now Al. Chester hissed his own warning but Alphonse gestured for him to back down and he crouched in front of Ayala, arms spread placatingly.

"Easy, Ayala. It's me, Alphonse," he said soothingly. She did not look like she was going to calm down. "If you settle down, we'll explain everything. You can't hop up next to Ed just yet either. Just calm down and we'll fill you in on what happened. Okay?" He held eye contact with the wolf until she slowly nodded. Slowly, Ayala allowed herself to relax and take in both Granny and Den, who had slipped past Al to check on Ed, before she looked at Chester. Obviously, they were talking to each and Al waited patiently.

 _"She wants to know why we won't let her near Ed."_ Chester obviously had to translate considering Al lacked Ed's newest ability.

"He's hurt. Badly hurt. If we'd let you jump up there with you not thinking as clearly as possible, you could've hurt him more," Al told her. She narrowed her eyes at him before Chester spoke again.

 _"She knows he's hurt. She can sense the wounds. She wants to know what happened after she collapsed. The last thing she remembers is Edward asking for her permission to bring you back. She doesn't even remember you being brought back."_

"Ed brought my soul back," Al told her as Granny moved behind him. "He bonded me to this armour and I don't have a physical body anymore. He lost his right arm preforming that transmutation. He blacked out almost immediately afterwards. From what he told me last night, he didn't collapse until he heard my voice so I know that I woke up pretty much straight away. I saw you and Chester unconscious and Ed bleeding out. I grabbed all of you and came straight to Granny's and she patched Ed up and checked both of you over," Al informed her. "You can probably already tell but Ed has lost his right arm and most of his left leg. He woke up last night for a few minutes but Granny gave him some painkillers and he went back to sleep. He hasn't woken back up yet." Al kept the story as short as possible. Ayala seemed to absorb his answer.

 _"She wants to know how I'm still alive if you don't have a physical body and she also wants to know when Ed will wake up again,"_ Chester dutifully translated.

"I'm not sure when he'll wake up again. Granny?" Al was purposefully ignoring the first question for the moment. Granny thought for a moment.

"He should be awake in the next hour, I'd imagine. Although his system has been through a lot so it could be longer," Granny finally answered. Al faced Ayala again and knew she hadn't simply forgotten the other question.

"Chester's still alive because Ed has his energy in him. We think it's because an Animal's energy needs to be kept inside a physical human body and because Ed brought my soul back, Chester's energy was given to him to keep safe," Al told her. "From what Chester's told me, it's completely separate from yours so you don't have to worry about sharing the same energy. Ed is also completely in control of it, as far as we know. We haven't actually tested to see if I'm still able to use it to heal Chester," Al told her. Ayala didn't look upset although it was hard to tell considering she wasn't his Animal.

 _"She says she can sense something else is different about him. There's something there that wasn't before,"_ Chester told Al. Al frowned. She could sense that?

"I'm not sure if this is what you're sensing but it's the only thing I can think of. Ed can hear other Animals. He heard Chester and Den last night," Al told her hesitantly. She was going to find out any way so he figured that they might as well give her time to adjust before Ed woke up. Al could definitely tell that this news had unsettled her.

 _"She says that she can't believe it and asked me if it was true. I told her yes and she seems a bit rattled by this,"_ Chester informed him.

"Wouldn't you be if I woke up suddenly hearing other Animals?" Al asked him.

 _"Touché."_ Al watched Ayala closely, who seemed to need a few minutes to process what they'd just told her.

The only person or Animal moving in the room was Granny, who was currently fussing over the bandage wrapped around what remained of Ed's leg. Ayala finally pulled herself together and walked herself over to Ed's right side, allowing Granny to work unhindered on Ed's left. She stood on her hind legs, resting her weight on her front paws as she placed them on the bed and watched eagle-eyed as Granny went about doing her job. Ayala winced as she got her first look at the wound but considering what it looked like in the basement, Ayala thought it was a definite improvement. Granny rewrapped the leg wound and shuffled around to join Ayala so she could look at his other wound. To do so, she ended up nudging Ayala to get her to move over and the golden wolf growled at her.

"Don't you growl at me, missy. You'll stay out of my way if you want him to heal proper. And you'll not argue or I'll toss you out of the room. Your presence is helpful, not necessary. Got it?" Granny didn't even look up from her work but Ayala looked suitably chastised and sulked over to Ed's left side.

 _"Ayala would like me to ask you to tell Pinako that she's sorry and that she won't do it again,"_ Chester told Al after a few quiet moments. Al dutifully passed the message on.

"I don't need an apology. You need to remember that I'm helping him. If you're in my way, I can't very well do my job now can I?" Granny's voice took on a softer tone. Suddenly, she was drawn back to Ed. Ayala had pricked her ears up and mimicked the position she'd taken up on Ed's right side, but this time she did so with more alertness. Her tail had started to slowly wag side to side and Al had a suspicion as to why. It was soon proven when Edward's eyes flickered open. "Glad you finally decided to join the living again, Edward. You've had Ayala worried out of her mind." Granny smiled at him. Ed grinned back and immediately looked to his left, only to be greeted by a wet tongue and an enthusiastic wolf. He reached out his only hand and scratched her softly behind the ears.

"Hey, Aya. Glad you finally woke up. Are you okay?" He asked as Granny fiddled with the bed so he was now sitting up slightly. Ayala had abandoned all her dignity and was on the bed, wriggling herself as close to Ed as possible. Alphonse and Chester watched the exchange, happiness exuding from them.

"Get Ayala to calm down. I'll bring you both up some breakfast," Granny told him as she left the room.

 _"Edward, I'm so happy you're alright! Al told me everything that happened after we both passed out. I told you I had a bad feeling about that transmutation."_ Edward grimaced as her tone took on a lecturing theme. _"You should've listened to me! Then none of this would've happened! You would be safe and so would Al!"_ Ayala couldn't cry like humans but her voice sounded just as heart-wrenching. Edward gathered her in a one-armed hug and pulled her as close as possible.

"I'm sorry, Aya, I'm so sorry. I wish I could take it back; I really do. You and Chester were right. I knew Al had doubts but I ignored them. I really thought we could do it. I was so wrong. It's all my fault and _I'm sorry_!" Ed's voice was muffled by her fur and she could feel parts of it getting wet from his tears. Ed eventually calmed himself down and loosened his grip on Ayala's fur, wiping his tears away. He then realised that Chester and Alphonse were in the room and his face lit up as he smiled at them. "How are you guys? Are you handling everything okay, Al?" He asked, looking guilty as he thought about Al's situation again.

"I'm fine, brother. I really am. Chester's doing good too. He wants to talk to you about something though," Al told him truthfully. He wasn't really used to being a suit of armour yet but he didn't think anyone would've really expected him to be after only 48 hours.

 _"I want to start testing your ability soon now that Ayala's awake. I think you should learn how to block out Animals unless you want to talk to them. That way you don't have dozens of Animals voices in your head at any given time. However, it is possible that you may not hear multiple Animals at the same time, anyway,"_ Chester told him. Al was confused as well. Didn't they discuss this last night?

"I thought I would hear lots of Animals. What makes you think I won't?" Ed asked. He could feel Ayala's confusion too.

 _"Well, I only thought about it a while ago but it's possible that you'll unconsciously block Animals other than Ayala from talking to you unless you want them to be able to talk to you directly,"_ Chester decided to explain in greater detail. _"Okay, so obviously you'd never block Ayala because she's your Animal."_ Ed nodded in agreement. He'd never block Ayala. _"However, like I explained last night, you might be able to hear Animals when they either talk to another Animal or don't guard their conversations with their human. The reason we don't automatically guard our conversations with our humans is because other Animals can't hear us talk to our humans and there's never been a case of a human being able to hear an Animal they weren't bonded to. We know you can overhear us when we're talking to our human because you heard me talking to Al and Den talking to Pinako last night however, there is the chance that because you now know of your abilities, you'll automatically block an Animal if you're not talking to them. This will prevent you overhearing them when they talk to their human. You'll need to warn other Animals so they can do the same thing, if you chose to talk to them. It's nothing personal but our conversations with our humans are supposed to be private."_ Chester finished his explanation. Edward considered this new information.

"Okay so how will we test it out?" Ed asked, Al echoing him.

 _"It'll be simple,"_ Chester assured him _"We know you can hear me and Den already. So when Den and I talk to each other next, you need to block us so you can't hear us. Unfortunately, there aren't any Animals nearby who don't know you can hear them so we'll have to wait until a new one comes in if someone visits Pinako. Before they find out you can hear them, you'll have to block their voice out. If you're successful, they won't know there's anything strange. After a few goes, it should become second nature for you to block out any Animal except for the ones you choose to hear."_ Ed nodded in agreement. _"Again, this is only if you don't automatically know how to do it now that you're aware that you can talk to other Animals."_

"Okay. But it has to wait until after breakfast. I'm starving and so's Ayala." Ed laughed as Chester and Al heard three stomachs growl and Ed grinned at Chester. "So are you, it appears." Al laughed alongside Ed only to hear Ed's laughter break off suddenly. Al turned to see Ed looking at him, guilt taking its place in his expression. "You can't eat, can you?" Ed asked solemnly.

"No, I haven't since dinner before that night." He looked up to see Ed's expression. "But it's okay! I'm alive and so are you and the Animals! And I know that you'll help me try and find a way for me to get my body back so it's okay. I promise," Al said, making himself sound as optimistic as possible. Ed did his best to give his little brother a reassuring smile but knew he failed when he felt his lips tremble.

Granny chose that moment to walk back into the room with the breakfast she'd promised them. Ed got porridge – Granny informed him it was made with water when he gave it a suspicious look – while Ayala and Chester were given servings of uncooked mince. She was quickly followed by Den and Winry, the latter being delegated to drink carrier since Granny couldn't carry everything and she'd been insistent on seeing Ed now that he was awake. The juice for Ed was set on his bedside table and Winry gave the Animals the water she'd brought up for them while Granny helped Ed sit up enough that he could rest the porridge bowl on his lap and use his left hand to eat.

Thankfully for Ed, Winry curbed her urge to throw herself bodily on top of him in her excitement at seeing him awake and instead settled for perching on the edge of his mattress. Granny left them to it and headed back downstairs, telling Winry to bring the dirty plates and cutlery with her when she came down. It didn't take long for the room to be filled with the sounds of laughter and chatter as the three of them enjoyed the fact that they could still talk to each other.

* * *

The rest of the day passed smoothly. Ed slept for the most part, mainly because he was still healing and because Granny was keeping him on painkillers as much as possible. He really only woke when someone brought up food or he needed to use the bathroom. Because his wounds weren't being aggravated by Ed moving around a lot, they were healing far quicker and cleaner than Al would've thought possible and Granny wasn't having to change the bandages as often as he thought.

There was a minor argument when Granny brought him a glass of milk with his lunchtime meal and insisted he drink it, using his wounds to try and justify her orders. Ed won the argument when he informed her that he didn't care if milk was the secret to regrowing limbs, he still wouldn't drink the vile liquid. Granny had given up and given the milk to Chester before leaving Ed to his meal. Edward had gloated for half an hour about the win until Al threatened to hold him down and tip a glass of milk down his throat if he didn't stop.

The Animals and Ed didn't get a chance to work on Ed's ability because Granny and Den had left after lunch to get some supplies from town, leaving Winry in charge on Ed's care. By the time the two had come back, it was nearing dinner time and Ed was sleeping again. Even after dinner, Ed was just too tired to stay awake so the Animals unanimously decided to leave the lessons until another day. Al had a sneaking suspicion that Ed's fatigue wasn't solely from the pain his was in but his brother wasn't telling him anything, merely just dismissing his concerns by telling him he was fine.

* * *

This continued for nearly four days. Ayala stuck to Ed like glue, only leaving his side when she needed to use the toilet, to eat or when Ed ordered her to join Al and Chester on a walk so she could get some exercise. Chester was as happy to stay in Ed's room with Ayala, Al and Ed as he was to go outside and explore. They were joined by Winry whenever she wasn't busy doing chores or working on her orders and because of the amount of time she spent with them, Winry noticed how Ed was pulling back from them a little more each day and she shared many worried looks with Al.

Ed's mood did pickup when the Animals decided that they should really start working on figuring out Ed's newfound ability. Den was more than happy to lend a helping paw whenever Pinako didn't need him for any reason. Granny had roused on Winry for slipping behind on her orders and had banned her from Ed and Al's room, allowing her to join them for meals and no longer until she was caught up again so she wasn't there when they did start the lessons. Since he couldn't listen to the other Animals anyway and Chester couldn't think of a reason for him needing to be in the room, Al joined Winry in her workshop for the day, leaving Ed, Chester, Ayala and Den to each other.

" _I think we should start by figuring out whether you can hear other Animals while you're talking with Ayala,"_ Chester said decisively. He'd been placed in charge of this experiment by mutual silent agreement amongst the others. _"I'd like for you and Ayala to start talking to each other. I don't care about what but you need to speak to one another for at least five minutes. At some stage during those five minutes, Den and I will start talking. If you hear us at any time during those five or so minutes, let us know. Ready?"_ Chester asked and Ed nodded before a question came to him.

"Wait, wouldn't talking to Ayala mean I won't hear you two anyway?" He asked. "You said that when Animals talk to their human, their conversation is blocked already. Wouldn't it be the same for me? Wouldn't I be on a different wavelength to you two?" Ed looked questioningly at Chester.

" _You're correct and that's part of the reason why we're doing this test,"_ Chester told him. _"If you can hear us while talking to Ayala, it means that your brain is no longer on a separate channel to us, to use your comparison. If you want to use the radio comparison, you can imagine it as every Animal having their own channel. As you know, you should only be able to tune into Ayala's but you've now got the ability to tune into other Animals channels. If you can hear me and Den while you're tuned into Ayala's channel, it means that we need to teach you to how to block us and any other Animal you don't want to hear or talk to in that moment,"_ Chester said. _"If you can't hear us, however, we'll move onto the second test, which will be having you talk to Den or me while the other two Animals talk to each other. If you can't hear them, including Ayala, then you already know how to block unwanted conversation. If you do hear them, you get to do some mental training. Okay?"_ Chester asked and Ed seemed to be satisfied for the moment and nodded to let them know he was ready.

"What do you wanna talk about?" Ed asked Ayala once Chester gave him and Ayala a look to tell them to start talking. She looked thoughtful for a moment and then a lightbulb went off.

 _"How are you? Don't give me the usual response either. I can sense your emotions, remember?"_ Ayala was quick to the point. Ed loved that about her because he hated it when people beat around the bush like it made the situation any better but that didn't mean he wanted to answer.

"I'm fine, Aya. I keep saying that because it's true." Ed wasn't speaking out loud because he didn't want the other Animals to overhear. Ayala snorted.

 _"Yeah and I'm a mouse. I know you're not fine,"_ Ayala said. _"You're drawing back from Al and Winry a little more every day which they've definitely noticed, by the way. So, what's wrong?"_ Ayala asked persistently. Ed sighed and leaned against the headboard.

"It's nothing important. It's my problem anyway so don't worry about it," Edward said, defences crumbling a little. Ayala struck at the crack is his wall and dug deeper.

 _"If it was nothing, you wouldn't be worrying and you wouldn't be trying to keep me from it. So what is it?"_ The wolf was making some very valid points.

"It's my problem. Leave it be, Ayala." Ed knew he was on the verge of begging but he didn't want anyone to know.

 _"Your problems are my problems. That's how this bond works, Edward,"_ Ayala reminded him gently." _Even an insignificant problem is shared. I want to help you but I can't unless you tell me what's wrong. I can read emotions, not minds,"_ Ayala pleaded with her human. _"I'm not going to tell anyone, if you don't want me too,"_ she promised, looking him in the eyes and refusing to break contact. He couldn't bring himself to break the eye contact either and finally, he caved.

"It's Al." He hung his head. He felt Ayala's surprise shoot through their link. "I don't mean him literally. I meant, it's what I put him through and what he has to deal with now. It's all my fault. He's 10 and he's nothing more than a soul bonded to armour. He can't feel anything. He's limited on what he can do. He's 10 years old and I almost killed him because of my overconfidence." Ed sounded defeated. "I know you all say it's not just my fault but it is. Al wanted to back out of doing it and I pushed him into it. All I lost was my arm and leg while he lost everything except his soul."

 _"It's not your fault, Ed. Not entirely,"_ Ayala told him before continuing over his disbelieving scoff. _"The blame lies with the four of us. Hell, the five of us if you include your father's decision to leave his journals there where you could read them. Without him doing that, you'd have never found the recipe,"_ Ayala said. _"My point is, Edward, the blame isn't solely yours to refuse to share and we won't let you shoulder it by yourself. I'll tell you something else, there's no way Al hates you for the way he is,"_ Ayala said confidently. _"He's alive because of you. Yes, he may not be complete but he is alive and that's what matters most. All of us are alive because of your decision to bond Al's soul to that armour. If you hadn't, he and Chester would be dead and you would've bled out and I would've died alongside you. That decision saved four lives,"_ Ayala said gently. _"While that decision wouldn't have been necessary had the attempt to use that array never happened, it did happen and you can't change the past. You can only learn from it."_ He could tell Ayala really believed what she'd just said and he was grateful for that. She made some good points but it still all boiled down to the fact that he ignored his little brother's fears which meant it was still his fault.

Ayala sensed that her words hadn't gotten through to him. In fact, if anything, his refusal to let them take the blame for their part in that night happening only solidified and she sighed internally. She really hadn't expected to get through to him on the first go and, though it made her sad, she knew why. She was his Animal and she knew that he would've been more likely to dismiss her words as her attempt at making him feel better, not her telling him the truth. She was determined to get him to believe her though and was prepared for the long haul. Before she could try again though, Chester interrupted them.

 _"Alright, time's up. You two obviously talked about something heavy,"_ Chester commented, not needing to be connected to their emotions to be able to tell that. _"Ed, did you hear me or Den at all?"_

"No. I didn't hear you guys at all." Ed had actually forgotten what he was supposed to be doing.

 _"Excellent. That means either you block out other Animals automatically or you're only able to hear Ayala when she's talking to you,"_ Chester said. _"So now we move on to the second test so we can tell which it is. Who do you want to chat with next? Me or Den?"_ Chester was excited. He now knew first-hand the emotions Alphonse and Edward felt whenever their theories were being proven right. Ed's grin at his obvious excitement didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I guess I'll chat with you, Chester." Chester nodded his agreement. Following the same rules as before, he started the test.

 _"Can you hear me?"_ Chester started out simple.

"Yeah, loud and clear." Edward still felt a little awkward, chatting to Chester like this. It went against everything he'd learned.

 _"Good. Now, what were you and Ayala talking about? I know it was something significant. I could practically smell the tension."_ Jeez, Chester didn't hold back either. Maybe it was a Spirit Animal thing?

"It wasn't anything too important. Don't worry about it," Edward tried to deflect but Chester was just as good as Ayala.

 _"Was Ayala as convinced by that as I am?"_ Chester asked conversationally and Ed glared at him. _"I'll take that as a 'no'. So, what happened?"_ Chester was obviously not about to drop the matter. Ed sighed and gave in, knowing that Chester was only going to say the same thing Ayala did. So he told him almost exactly what he'd told Ayala. Edward finished and waited for Chester to speak and a moment of silence passed before, _"You're an idiot."_ Ed literally moved back slightly in surprise.

"What?" He asked, dumbly.

 _"You, Edward Elric, are an idiot. A massive moron. You think you're the only one who fully blames themselves for everything that happened?"_ Edward was too stunned to answer so Chester took advantage of that and continued. _"Your brother believes that if he'd been a little more adamant in his stance on not wanting to go through with it, you would've stopped and this would've been avoided. He believes he's a horrible little brother because he couldn't say a sentence out loud. He knows you wouldn't have gone ahead with it if he'd have done so but he just didn't want to let you down,"_ Chester revealed and Ed felt his heart tighten at the thought of Al blaming himself.

" _The same way, I believe, that you felt when you sacrificed your arm and brought Al back. You didn't want to let your mum and little brother down by not doing everything in your power to save him. Ayala and I blame ourselves for not listening to our instincts and telling you to stop. We knew something bad was going to happen, we knew it, and we still let you two go ahead with it. You believe that if you had have just listened to what your gut said about Al's fears, none of this would've happened. Don't you see? There were four,_ four _, opportunities for this whole disaster to have been avoided. You only missed one,"_ Edward was almost crying. Chester hadn't pulled his punches but that's what Ed had needed. But there was still the fact that Al's situation was Ed's fault.

"Al's still trapped in that unfeeling metal because of me. You and Ayala and Al couldn't say or do anything. I made that decision all by myself." Ed's voice shook and a tear escaped his eye. Chester shook his head.

 _"And Al is grateful for that every minute of every day,"_ Chester told him. _"Sure, sometime in the future he might resent what he can't do or feel in that armour but he is going to realise that he is still alive and it's only because of the actions you made. He feels guilty over the fact that him being bonded to that armour has cost you your arm. He doesn't blame you at all for his situation. He's happy with it because he knows the alternative is his death."_ Chester's tone was a bit gentler this time. Ed still had tears rolling down his face freely now.

Ayala had panicked slightly at the sight of the first tear making its way down Ed's cheek and the churning mix of emotions she could feel coming from him. However, once she realised what Chester was doing, she settled down and focused back on her conversation with Den. Chester was currently doing what Ayala and Alphonse had so fair been unable to do so she was happy to leave him to it.

Ed felt his belief that the events of that night were his fault and his fault alone waver as he processed Chester's words. The leopard was right when he said that there were opportunities for the other three to stop the transmutation from happening and they didn't. However, Ed knew that the fact that Alphonse was now stuck as a suit of armour for the foreseeable future was his fault only. No one had forced him to bind his soul to the armour and Ed would never forgive himself for the life his brother now had to live. In order to be forgiven, Ed decided, he'd have to focus his efforts on getting Al his body back.

"Thank you, Chester." Ed gave him a watery smile and reached his hand out. Chester accepted the thanks and moved his head under Ed's hand so he could scratch his ears. They parted after Chester realised they were actually in the middle of an experiment.

 _"Time's up! Ed, you obviously did hear them at all?"_ Chester asked.

"Nope, I didn't hear either of them. I guess that means that I know how to block what Animals I don't want to hear, eh?" Ed asked but cut any answer off with a huge yawn.

 _"Yup. Congrats. We don't have to try and train your brain. Now, get yourself some sleep before Pinako turns us into rugs for stalling your recovery time."_ Chester was kind of joking. Ed chuckled and made himself comfortable.

"Thanks for everything, Chester. And thanks for helping out, Den." Edward moved his golden eyes to meet those of the black and white dog.

 _"Happy to help one of my favourite humans out,"_ Den said, unashamedly honest. Ed watched the collie dog leave the room, followed closely by Chester so they could find their respective humans. Ayala made herself comfortable on Ed's right side, having been told by Granny that that was the only side she was allowed to lie on since she would be less likely to hurt Ed accidentally that way. The last thing Ed remembered was Ayala lying her massive golden head on his stomach as he shut his eyes.

* * *

The next week passed relatively the same. Edward wasn't sleeping quite as much but he still wasn't his usual happy self. He spent most of his time awake trying to remember if there was anything in any book he'd ever read that might be able to get Al's body back. Chester insisted on doing a couple more experiments with Ed's ability. He had Ed listen to him and Ayala while ignoring Den. He had Ed ignore Chester while he and Ayala were talking to him and focus on Den and Ayala.

He also wanted to know what kind of range Ed had with other Animals. With your own Animal, you could be across the country and still talk to them and he wanted to see if Ed was afforded that same range with an Animal other than Ayala. So when he and Al next went exploring, he used that as an excuse to test it. However, they called it quits when they got nearly 10km from the Rockbells and Ed could still hear Chester.

Ed had chucked a fit when Al came home with dozens of books from the house as he hadn't wanted Al to go there alone. Al, however, had decided to seize the opportunity to check up on the house and get some new reading material since he'd read everything at Granny's twice. Ed couldn't argue with his points but that didn't stop him from scowling in displeasure. Though once Al handed over a couple of books, the scowl disappeared and the boys were soon discussing theory and the books' contents like they normally did.

* * *

Three weeks after the accident, Granny declared Ed to no longer be at risk of infection if he went outside and started letting Al or Winry wheel Ed out of the house so he could get some fresh air and soak in the sun. Neither Granny, Al, Winry nor any of the Animals approached Ed about whether he'd thought about getting automail or not. Ed wasn't an idiot. He knew automail would be something he'd need to get installed if he wanted to find a solution to getting Al's body back. He also knew the risks involved in getting automail when your body wasn't fully developed but he also knew a wheelchair would severely limit his ability to keep his promise.

His biggest problem was getting enough money together to be able to afford the surgery and limbs. Automail installation wasn't cheap and he couldn't expect Granny or Winry to install the ports or give him the limbs for free. The problem was they'd spent most of their inheritance paying Izumi's teaching fees and what was leftover had gone towards everything they'd needed to buy in the months they'd been home. What they had left _could_ be enough to cover the surgery and limbs but that led him to his second dilemma; they'd need that money to travel cross-country, chasing down leads for that miracle. He knew they certainly wouldn't have enough money to afford both the automail and the trips.

That night, he decided it was a decision he couldn't make by himself so he told Al and their Animals about his problem the moment Granny and Winry had bade them goodnight. He explained to Al that he fully planned on keeping the promise he made him but that the only money they had left could either go towards automail limbs or towards them hunting down leads but that he'd also need those limbs to go running after leads. Al had asked only one question after he finished listening to Ed.

"Do you have any clue as to what we're supposed to be looking for?" When Ed had said no, he hadn't found the book he knew had an answer in it, Al had told him to get the automail.

Ed tried pointing out once more that they'd need that money for travelling and other things but Al dismissed it, saying they'd simply figure out the money problem later. When Ed continued trying to argue, Al pointed out that Ed's expected recovery time would be two or three years so they had time to sell things or use their alchemy to fix houses or whatnot in exchange for a fee or something along those lines to raise some money. Al was positive that they'd manage to get the money they needed together somehow and Ed had to admit that he was a little surprised at how quick Al was with his solutions.

He asked Al about it and learned that he'd been thinking about it ever since Granny had mentioned automail being an option for Ed. Al had come to the same conclusion as Ed had and knew they'd need a solution for their future money problems so he'd spent some time thinking about one. So unless one of them got a job that let them travel wherever they'd need to go and paid them a decent amount, working odd jobs around Resembool was the only feasible idea Al had come up with. Both boys agreed that it was extremely unlikely that someone would hire a child and pay them to travel around the country.

Ayala and Chester kept their inputs to a minimum, preferring to leave it up to Alphonse and Edward to work out. Both Animals were just happy that Edward was slowly pulling himself out of the slump he'd been in and considering their future. After a lengthy discussion, the Animals were relieved when the boys finally came to a decision. Edward would get automail installed and they'd use the time it took for Ed to recover to work odd jobs around town. Ed declared that while Al was busy getting the money from their house, he would talk to Granny and Winry about his decision. With the discussion over, Ayala and Chester both suggested their humans get some rest which, thankfully, both agreed was a good idea and soon Ed was asleep while Alphonse sat against the wall and read his newest book.

* * *

When Ed woke the next morning, he discovered both Alphonse and Chester had already left. When asked, Ayala told him they'd only left a few minutes ago and Ed knew they wouldn't be back for a couple of hours. He lay in bed and listened to the sounds around the rest of the house to figure out where the others were. Soon, he knew Granny was in the kitchen and Winry was in her workroom. He pulled himself into his chair and with Ayala's help, got himself into the bathroom.

On his way back to his room, he ran into Granny who had been on her way into his room with his breakfast. She helped him get comfortable on the bed and handed over his breakfast before giving Ayala hers and going through the usual routine where she asked a million questions as she checked his wounds. He answered them as he ate and got through his food quick enough that Granny was able to take the dishes back down to the kitchen when she left. Before she could though, Ed stopped her.

"Al told me that you told him that automail is an option for me. Is that true?" Edward asked, deciding to be upfront and Granny blinked in surprise.

"Yes. Do you want automail?" She asked and Edward nodded. "You understand that because you're still growing, you'll much more regular adjustments? Depending on how quickly you grow, you might even need the ports removed and new ones put in. Automail surgery is extremely painful," she warned. "I've had the toughest blokes you can imagine break down and sob like three-year-old children because the pain was too much. You know how the surgeries work, right?" Edward shook his head.

"I know the basics of what you have to do but I don't know the details," he admitted. Granny grabbed the chair and sat herself down on it to explain.

"Your leg won't be a major issue. All we'd have to do is take what's left of your knee and install a port into the thigh bone. The connection that attaches the automail leg to the port will act as your knee," she explained before wincing a little. "It's your shoulder that will be the most painful. We'd have to take what remains of your shoulder before we anchor the port to your collar bone, top three ribs and scapula," she said. "Like your leg, the connection that attaches your automail arm to the port will act as your shoulder. We'd have to do the port installation first and wait a month before attaching your automail so your nerves have the chance to settle. You can't be sedated for the surgery which means you will be in a world of pain and Ayala will cop the feedback from that for a little bit," she told him, getting to the part that made several people decide against the surgery. "Every time we have to disconnect and reconnect your automail limbs in the future, whether for repairs or adjustments, it will hurt just as badly as the first time. Most people pass out when they get their automail connected, it's that painful. The surgery is 50 times worse. The rehabilitation process is also painful, especially the first year. It takes most people three years before they're done. So I'll ask again, are you sure you want automail?" Granny had never looked more serious in her life. Ed thought hard for a moment but he knew the answer. He looked Granny right in the eyes.

"Yes." His answer left no room for argument or doubt. He'd discussed it with Al and he'd discussed it with Ayala. Both were behind him.

"Very well. We'll have you scheduled for surgery by the end of the week. We need to make the ports first," she told him when she saw he was going to question the surgery date. Ed nodded in agreement and, seeing he had no more questions, Granny gathered the dirty dishes and left the room. Ayala and Ed contacted Chester about an ETA before they settled more comfortably to get some reading done.

A couple of hours later, Al turned up with more books and the chest that held all their money. "I told Granny I wanted automail. She's on board with it. I'm getting the ports installed at the end of the week," Ed told him the moment they walked through the door.

"How come it's gonna be that long?" Al asked as he put the chest under Ed's bed and added the books to the appropriate piles.

"They need to make them," Ed replied. Al hummed as he found a book to read. "Hey, Al?" Al looked up at his name. "Are you sure you're okay with this?" Ed had already asked Ayala enough times. The last time she threatened to make him need three automail surgeries if he asked again.

"Of course I am, Brother." Al's voice sounded like he was smiling so Ed smiled back. A few minutes later, Granny came into the room with some fresh water for Ed.

"I see you've decided to move your library to this room," she commented as she skirted the book piles. Al laughed.

"This is barely a tenth of what's left in the house, Granny. Oh!" Al exclaimed, grabbing for the chest he'd just hidden. "Before I forget, here." He went to give it Pinako but realised she didn't have any hands free. "Oh, it's all the money we've got. It's for the automail," he told her and to their surprise, she shook her head.

"Don't be ridiculous. You're not giving us the last of your money for this," she told them.

"But we have to. Equivalent exchange. I can't accept the automail for free." Ed was bewildered. Again, Granny shook her head.

"You're not," Granny told them, placing the pitcher on the bedside table and facing them both. "You're gonna pay me back by fixing some things up around the house when you're better and you're going to be testing any new limbs that Winry comes up with. You'll have them installed and need to report on their functionality. After this set, you'll only have to pay for any that you've damaged. Agreed?" Ed and Al were stunned. Automail was expensive. Not 'only the uber rich can afford it' expensive but certainly not something that every family can afford. And that was just for the one limb.

"Okay, Granny. I can start fixing things up around the place while Ed's recovering," Al offered once he got over his shock.

"That's fine, Alphonse. I'll come back up in a few minutes with a list of chores you can start on," she told him. Both boys nodded in agreement and she left their room.

"That was really nice of Granny," Al commented as he poured Ed a glass of water.

"Yeah, it really was," Ed said, still stunned at the development. He didn't think Ayala's amusement at his reaction was appropriate though and nudged her with his remaining foot as he accepted the water. "You do realise this means that we've now got something we can use to start our search though?" Ed said and Al nodded.

"I did. Now all we've got to do is figure out what we're going to be searching for," Al said and Ed hummed in agreement. "Why don't you come down to the sunroom, Brother? I'm sure Ayala and Chester would love to stretch out in the sunlight," Al suggested and Ed shrugged his shoulder.

"Yeah, alright. It'll save Granny coming up the stairs with your chore list," Ed said, grinning as Al groaned a little before he took the empty glass and helped Ed into his chair.

* * *

Ed watched as the sunlight made Ayala's fur glitter beautifully as he tried to mentally sort through the books they had at home, trying to work out which ones would help him solve Al's problem. He enjoyed being in the sunroom as much as Ayala and Chester did. It provided him with a bigger sense of independence since he could pop into the kitchen himself if he wanted a snack or drink or he could go outside and play with Den or the Animals if they wanted to. He relished in the knowledge of how fair he'd come in the month it had been since the accident and he knew that with a bit of practise, he'd be able to do nearly everything by himself once more, even if he didn't get automail.

The only thing he couldn't do, it seemed, was work out which books he needed Al to get on his next visit to the house so he could try and find a solution for him. He was seriously starting to doubt whether there even was a solution which in turn made his guilt more prominent. What if there really wasn't an answer? What if Alphonse was stuck in that armour for the rest of his life? He shook his head clear of those thoughts though. He _knew_ there was something written in one of those books in the house that could help him. He just needed to remember.

Ayala, privy to his emotions, could sense what he was thinking and felt herself grow a little sad before she felt his determination come back in full swing. She smiled to herself as she felt it. If there was one thing she admired most about her human, it was the fact that he never gave up unless he'd exhausted every lead.

The sound of Den barking madly at the front door had Ayala and Chester jumping to their feet. Ed didn't even flinch at the noise or their sudden movements and Ayala knew it was because he was too deep in thought to have noticed. Den wasn't talking to them but his barks were ones of warning and that got Chester and Ayala curious. While they were used to visitors since Winry was a brilliant automail mechanic and Pinako was a renowned doctor in the area, Den's barks to announce them were usually friendly – as long as he knew them – but never as full of threat as the ones he was sounding now.

They relaxed a little as they heard Pinako rouse of Den for barking at their guests but they were alert once again when the next thing the heard from the elderly woman was an exclamation of surprise and the heavy thud of boots on the wooden floor. Den's threatening growls could be heard by everyone and Ayala and Chester took up protective stances from where they stood in between the two boys. Alphonse closed his book and placed it next to him, unsure of what he should do and Edward looked up in time to see a raven-haired man in the blue uniform of the Amestrian Military storming towards him, a wild look in his eyes.

The lioness who was trailing behind him was obviously trying to get him to calm down if her pleading looks were anything to judge by. She fervently threw the same looks to Ayala and Chester and Ed knew she was trying to get them to not attack her human. No one else followed him into the sunroom but Granny could be heard talking very angrily to someone in the other room so Ed knew there must be at least one more military officer and Animal to worry about. However, for the moment, the severely pissed off officer in front of him was the one who got his undivided attention.

"WE WENT TO YOUR HOUSE!" Ed felt fear and anger flare inside of him at those words. "WE SAW THE FLOOR! WHAT DID YOU DO?!" The officer shouting, spitting madly as he reached out to grab Ed by the front of his shirt, presumably to pull him up to eye level, Ed thought. A flash of anger rolled through him and he glared at the man.

"If you touch me," Ed said, voice low and filled with promise. The hand paused, millimetres away from his shirt, "I won't be the only person in this room to need automail."

The soldier pulled his hand back in surprise as he tried to process what just happened. It hadn't been the threat to stop him – he'd been threatened numerous times before – but the conviction in the boy's voice. This kid – who couldn't have been more than 12 – who had suffered the loss of two limbs recently was looking him dead in the eyes and threatening him. The man backed away slightly and finally noticed something he should've noticed immediately.

A golden-tinged wolf was approaching slowly from the boy's right, lips lifted in a silent snarl and golden eyes burning protectively, a low growl sounding deep in her throat. On the boy's left, a spotted leopard was mimicking the wolf's movements, its own lips curled up as it hissed low, similar to a snake. A glance behind him told him the collie dog who had greeted them at the door was poised, ready to defend the boy in needed. The man startled when a suit of armour he also hadn't noticed stood and walled to stand between the leopard and the wheelchair-bound boy.

"We're so sorry. We didn't mean it. We're sorry." It took the soldier a few moments to realise that the words were coming from the armour. It took him seeing the golden boy place a comforting hand on the shaking arm of the suit and soothing words to make the connection.

"You're the Elric brothers. You're Edward and Alphonse." He was stunned. He hadn't expected them to be so young. The boy in the wheelchair, he presumed he was Edward, turned back to face him.

"And you're an arse," the blonde spat. "If you go to threaten me or my brother again, I can guarantee you that you and your lioness won't be able to stop all three Animals from taking you down, no matter how good your alchemy is," the boy informed him coolly.

"Brother!" The armour said, shock and reprimand in his voice.

"You heard him, Al," Edward said, not breaking eye contact with the soldier, "he broke into our house and since he hasn't given us a search warrant and you were there this morning and didn't say anything was amiss, I'm assuming he didn't have reasonable cause. Therefore, he's an arse." Edward said this with the air of one who knew he was completely right.

* * *

The soldier looked stunned with the boy's abrupt manner. Most people held their tongues when faced with a military soldier. He could hear his lioness laughing in his head and shot her an annoyed scowl. He could've sworn he'd seen amusement flash across the face of the boy as he watched his Animal but it was gone too quickly to tell. He heard angry mutterings come from behind him and turned to be faced with the old woman he'd barged past coming into the room, a ferocious glare on her face and it took all of his military training not to cower under it.

"I think we may have gotten off on the wrong foot," the man said, clearing his throat. "I'm Colonel Roy Mustang. Is there somewhere we can sit? I do have something I'd like to discuss with the Elric brothers," Mustang asked politely. Edward and Alphonse exchanged a glance before they nodded at Granny, who sighed and gestured for Mustang to sit at the table in the room. Al pushed Ed into his usual spot and stood formidably behind his brother while the three Animals that didn't belong to Mustang placed themselves where they could easily attack from if necessary. Mustang sat himself opposite Pinako and his lioness decided to check out the room. No one spoke for a few moments until Mustang took it upon himself to start the conversation.

"This is a surprise, to say the least. I came to Resembool because I'd heard rumours about a brilliant alchemist who lived here. If I'm being honest, I'd expected to find Hohenheim, not a child skilled enough to perform human transmutation nor advanced enough to bond a soul to a suit of armour immediately after a rebound." Mustang's keen eyes had seen the way Ed flinched and snarled at the mention of Hohenheim. "I'd say he's definitely more than qualified to become a State Alchemist. Should he choose to, he'd have access to restricted materials and be given special privileges. In return, he'd have to serve the military in times of crisis." Edward zoned him out after that. He was focused on the lioness who was watching him closely. With one ear listening to the soldier in case he said something interesting, he decided to test his ability on an Animal he'd never met.

"Can you hear me?" He didn't say this out loud. He still didn't like or trust this Mustang person and didn't want him to know about this ability. He grinned in triumph when she visibly froze at hearing another human speak to her.

 _"You can talk to Animals other than the one you're bonded too?"_ She asked, stunned. She was shocked even more when he flashed her a grin and slight nod. _"You can hear us too? That's unbelievable!"_

"You can say that again. I'm Edward, by the way. The wolf is my bonded Animal. Her name's Ayala. The Sunda Clouded Leopard is my brother's Animal. He's called Chester." Edward was still, by all pretence, listening to the adults. Granny was now arguing with Mustang, yelling at him for trying to pull the boys into serving the military.

 _"My name's Nala. He always forgets to introduce me to people when he introduces himself. Are you actually listening to their conversation?"_ Nala asked. Ed snorted in amusement.

"Kinda. Right now, your human is trying to win an argument with Granny. He wants me to become a State Alchemist but I'm not sure whether that's a good move for me. I've gotta get my brother his body back and I can't be a military dog and chase leads down for my brother at the same time." Ed didn't know why he was confiding in an Animal he barely knew. Maybe it was because she hadn't immediately blocked him and told her human about his exceptionally unique ability.

 _"I'm honestly so angry at him for even offering a child this job. He knows how hard it is but as much as I hate to admit it, he has a good point,"_ Nala said. _"If you became a State Alchemist, you'd have access to hundreds, if not thousands, of restricted books and alchemy journals that the public would never have access too. You'd have money to be able to go gallivanting around the country looking for leads. And I know that Roy would be willing to give you missions near places he hears rumours about that might lead you to your answer. I know him and if you made that one of your conditions for working under him, he'd accept it."_ Ed could tell Nala was being hones because he didn't think she'd lie about that sort of thing. He also knew Ayala and Chester were listening in, even if they hadn't made any sign they were and he made a mental note to get their opinion on it later.

"I'll think about it. It's something I need to discuss with my brother and Ayala first. Are you going to tell him about our conversation?" Ed asked.

 _"No, it's not my place to tell. Besides, his reaction when he finds out might be interesting,"_ Nala smirked. Ed had a feeling he and this lioness would get along very well. He still wasn't sure her human was all that great though. Ed gave a short nod of thanks and Nala settled behind her human, a slight smirk on her face. Mustangs voice brought Ed back to the present.

"Edward, the military is willing to offer you the opportunity to reach your goals; to try and find a way to restore your bodies back to normal. You'd have access to every book in every library, one of which could very well hold the key to success," Mustang said, unknowingly echoing his lioness. "If you're willing to take that chance, contact me at Eastern Headquarters." Mustang stood up and Nala followed suit. Granny stood as well, glaring at Mustangs retreating back.

* * *

Winry had been sitting awkwardly next to the blonde Lieutenant who'd accompanied Mustang on his trip to Resembool, knowing her grandmother wouldn't have wanted a military officer in their house unaccompanied. The offered tea sat untouched on its tray in front of the two blondes. A magnificent barn owl sat on the armrest of the chair nearest the blonde stranger, cleaning its feathers. Winry's small voice broke the silence between the two.

"Uh, Lieutenant?"

"Please, just Riza. Riza Hawkeye." She stuck her hand out for Winry to shake. "Pleasure to meet you." Winry ignored the offered hand.

"Lieutenant Riza... Have you ever had to shoot anyone?" Winry's voice shook. Hawkeye started at the question. The owl looked up, watching the young blonde.

"Yes, I have," Hawkeye answered, slight hesitation in her voice.

"I hate what you soldiers do," Winry said as she glared at her hands, eyes blurring from tears she refused to shed. "Soldiers are the reason my mum and dad left for the war and soldiers are the reason they're dead. And now you... Now you're here to take Ed and Al away too." She still wouldn't meet the Lieutenants eyes.

"If they go, that decision will be theirs and theirs alone." Winry looked up in disbelief. "Yes. It's entirely up to them now. Whether they move forward or stay still. It's their choice. They choose their own path." Hawkeye's voice was kind but firm.

"Miss Riza, why did you become a soldier?" Hawkeye didn't answer right away.

"Because there's someone I have to protect." A door swung open next to them and Mustang walked out. Riza immediately stood to attention.

"We're leaving," was all he said as he reached out to take his offered coat from Hawkeye. Nala exited the house first and Hawkeye's owl flew out after her. Mustang and Hawkeye were followed out by Winry. Riza paused at the bottom of the stairs and faced the young girl.

"I guess this is goodbye, young lady." She was surprised to find the girls hand offered to her.

"It's Winry," was all the girl said as Hawkeye grasped the offered hand.

"Right. Bye, Winry. I hope we meet again someday." She smiled as she followed her commanding officer. Once out of earshot, she spoke to Roy.

"Do you think they'll come?" Riza had glimpsed the boy before Roy had barged in. She thought he'd looked... defeated.

"Oh, they will. Both of them, I'd imagine." Mustang smiled confidently. Nala rolled her eyes. A gesture that went unnoticed by both humans but not the owl flying beside them. Nala promised to explain it later when the owl queried the eyeroll.

"Are you sure? I have a feeling that the Rockbells won't let them without a fight." Hawkeye was certain she was right.

"Don't you worry, Lieutenant. There was fire in that boy's eyes. He'll come."

* * *

Back in the house, Winry and Pinako had re-joined the boys in the sunroom. They'd stepped away to clean up the tea and prepare lunch. They heard Al and Ed talking and the silences that meant the Animals were talking. Granny carried the tray of food for the Animals while Winry carried the tray for humans. Once they'd eaten, Granny asked the question she and Winry wanted to hear the answer too.

"What did you decide?" There was no denying that the boys were talking about the soldier's offer so there was no point in pretending otherwise. Ed and Al looked at each other and nodded. Ed faced Granny with a determined expression on his face.

"I'm joining the military. I'll become a State Alchemist."

 **A/N - Revised chapter 7 is here for you all! See you next week!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8-**

Everyone currently in the Rockbell house knew how stubborn Edward when he'd made his mind up. They also knew there would be no changing his mind once it was made unless something life-changing happened. So when he announced his decision, eyes and voice filled with conviction, to join the State Alchemy program, they knew he was serious. However, despite knowing all of this, Pinako couldn't keep her silence when Edward told him his decision.

"Edward, you're 11 years old! Why do you want to chain yourself to the military? There's got to be another way for you to keep your promise," Granny exclaimed. "The military will just use your alchemy against innocent people, like they did in Ishval! Your alchemy will cost innocent people, like Winry's parents, their lives! You'll just be a tool for them to wield." She didn't yell, she didn't even raise her voice.

Ed knew that Granny and Winry wouldn't accept his decision straight away. Winry had nursed a hate for the military ever since she received word about her parents death, Pinako long before that. When Edward had made his announcement, Winry hadn't said anything after he voiced his decision nor had she said anything while Pinako spoke. In fact, she didn't say anything until a couple of moments after Granny's rant and when she did speak, it was with an emotionless voice emotionless voice and it was only to tell them she would be going upstairs to start work on Edward's ports.

"I know that, Granny. I'd considered it a while back but thought I'd be too young. But that Mustang came here looking for me. That means I'm not," Edward started reasoning once Winry had left to go upstairs but Pinako interrupted.

"He didn't know you were a kid!" She protested.

"He did when he made that offer," Ed pointed out. "I'll have access to books I've never heard of and books I'd never be able to read otherwise. I'll have a steady income, which means I could afford to go after any leads and I'll be able to keep Al safe from them, too. If I don't join now, they'd only keep coming back to try and recruit us. Al could be discovered and taken away while I try and figure out a way to get him back on limited funds and knowledge!" Edward exclaimed. "I've discussed this with Al and Ayala and they're both on board with it. I'm doing this, Granny." Pinako sighed. She hated it when the boys actually made rational arguments and this was certainly one of Ed's best.

"Fine. We'll get you your automail, like we agreed. Hopefully you'll see some sense in the three years you'll spend in rehab." Granny could only hope as she started taken his measurements for Winry.

"Three years? Screw that. I'll do it in one," Edward declared. Pinako just gaped at him.

"Are you an idiot? You'll have yourself spitting up blood!" This time she did yell at him.

"I will do this in one year. I'm not letting Al spend any more time in that armour than he has too." Edward refused to budge on the matter. Granny didn't bother arguing further, instead settled for muttering curses under her breath while she finished up her work and went to find her granddaughter and Al took this opportunity to get a word in.

"Brother, I don't want you to hurt yourself more than necessary. Take the three years to get used to the automail. I can wait," he pleaded but Ed shook his head.

"No, Al. That programs for old people anyway. I'll be fine." He smiled at his little brother. "Besides, you think I'm gonna let some stupid automail tell me what to do?" He knocked the back of his hand on Al's chest plate.

Alphonse may have chuckled at his brother but he was still worried. If Ed strained himself too much trying to rush through the healing and adapting process, he could do some serious damage. He just hoped that Ed would see sense and slow down if he had too. They sat in silence for a few minutes, their Animals having gone outside when Granny had started lecturing Ed so they could have some peace and quiet.

"Hey, Brother?" Al spoke a little uncertainly.

"Yeah, Al? What's up?" Ed frowned at his brother but Al was looking out the window.

"Do you have any clue on how to get my body back?" He asked after a minute of silence. Ed understood the reason behind the uncertain tone of voice now.

"No, not yet. Getting your body back would be committing human transmutation and we saw how well that worked last time," Ed sighed. He'd been struggling over this for three weeks now. He knew there was a tiny piece of information he was missing that would suddenly make the answer obvious.

"There's no way we are doing that again." Al shook his head for emphasis. Edward didn't need any convincing. Their failed human transmutation cost them this much. How much would a successful one cost? "It's a shame we can't bypass the laws," Al said without really thinking. Ed sat up like he'd been zapped.

"That's it!" He exclaimed, startling his brother. "We just need to bypass the laws of equivalency! We need-"

"A Philosopher's Stone!" Al exclaimed alongside Ed. Ed could've smacked himself for taking so long to figure it out.

"There's that book of that bastards that we read, remember? It contains some information about it. Was it one of the ones you grabbed on your trip there this morning?" Ed asked hopefully.

"No but I know which one you mean. I can go and grab it when Chester and I go for a walk this afternoon," Al offered. Edward nodded. He was buzzing with excitement. Finally, _finally_ , they had a faint hope to latch on to. Ayala and Chester both let themselves back inside when they felt the rush of excitement run through their bonds.

 _"What happened?"_ They both asked their respective humans. Ed and Al both told them pretty much the same thing. They had an idea on what could make Al normal. They just needed to get the right book. Both Animals were almost as excited as their humans were. This was good! They finally had somewhere to start.

"I want Ayala to go with you this afternoon," Ed said suddenly.

 _"What?"_

"What?" Both Al and Ayala echoed each other.

"You haven't been far from me since we woke up. I can't go, obviously. Plus, I'd like to test our linked vision. We've gotta keep on top of our skills so they don't get rusty. This will be a good way to do that." He spoke to Ayala but out loud so Al could hear him.

 _"What if something happens to you?"_ Ayala knew she was being overprotective, worrying about nothing but she couldn't help it! She was reluctant to let Ed out of her sight.

"I'll be fine, Aya. I have Granny and Den here and Winry will keep me company, if she ever talks to me again. You won't be gone that long and if I need you, I'll reach out. Go and stretch your legs. You're starting to get a bit chubby from laying around here," he said with a smirk.

 _"Call me chubby again and I'll bite you,"_ she warned. _"I'll go with them if it's alright with them. It is their walk after all,"_ she said, caving.

"Thank you. You two don't mind, right?" He asked Al and Chester. Both agreed to let Ayala tag along. "Thanks, you two." Ed smiled. They all sat around, chatting about whether either of them could think of any more books they'd need until they finished coming up with a list and Al stood, ready to go. Ayala and Chester stood to follow him and with a final pat to her head, Ed watched his wolf follow his brother and his leopard outside. He mentally prepared himself for the link.

"You ready, Aya?" He asked telepathically.

 _"Of course,"_ she replied smoothly. Ed grinned and gave the command.

"Ayala, sight!" Suddenly his vision was filled with Al, Chester and the Rockbells' driveway. Ayala turned her head to let Ed get in all the view while she walked. They saw wildflowers and trees. There were some sheep in the fields and some paddocks being prepared for crops. Ed didn't realise how much he missed it until he was seeing it again. Edward was still completely aware of his own surroundings. He would be able to sense if someone approached him but he only saw what Ayala saw. He wouldn't be able to see Granny or Winry even if their face was centimetres from his own.

The only sign that Edward gave that he wasn't completely there was the bright blue rings that surrounded his golden irises. The same could be seen on Ayala's eyes if anyone looked closely. The blue rings told anyone who approached them that their vision was linked with their partner. The colour never varied from bonded pair to bonded pair, similar to the colour of the healing energy when it was being used. If an alchemist knew the healing array instead of just relying on their bond, the alchemic energy would be green. While Ayala was walking, she and Ed were happily chatting away about things they could see. Eventually they reached the house and Ayala and Ed both inhaled sharply.

"You two okay?" Al asked, looking down at Ayala.

Taking a moment to gather the required strength, Ayala nodded and, with Ed's encouragement, moved forward. She could still sense the lingering evil from that night. A mound of dirt was visible under the tree Ayala liked to lounge under and both Ayala and Ed surmised that that was were Granny had buried that _thing_. The three of them entered the house and looked around. Aside from some slightly moved furniture and tracked-in dirt – courtesy of that bastard colonel, Ed assumed – the place looked untouched. The surfaces were still clear of dust, all the photos were in the spots their mum had put them, the dishes they'd washed after their last dinner were still in the drying rack, doors that were shut were still shut. It seemed either the colonel hadn't done a great investigative sweep of the place or he was really good at covering his tracks.

Ayala followed Al into the study, pointedly ignoring the basement door, even though it was wide open, presumably left that way by Al when he rushed them to Granny's. Ed was happy to notice that his and Ayala's connected vision was working perfectly. In fact, it seemed stronger than ever. They'd never maintained a connection this long. They watched Al for a few moments before Ed decided there was something else he wanted to test.

"Ayala, I'm going to disconnect our vision now. You ready?" With Ayala's mental agreement, Ed blinked and was back in his own body.

Blinking his eyes a few times, he checked around himself for anything different. Seeing nothing, he relaxed. If Granny and Winry had to go out and came to tell him, they would've left a note once they realised he was sight-sharing. No note meant they were still home. He sat for a moment, thinking about why he'd disconnected with Ayala. There were actually two things he wanted to test out. The first thing shouldn't be too hard. He just needed Den so he reached out telepathically.

"Hey, Den, can I borrow you for a minute?" Den's affirmative answer came seconds before the clicking of his nails alerted Ed to his approach. Once in the room, he located and sat in front of Ed.

 _"What's up?"_ He queried.

"Okay, I want to see if I can visually link with you." Den looked at him.

 _"What? What makes you think you can? Did you with Chester or something?"_ Den was confused. Normally when the boys wanted to test something it was because they had a hunch. Granted they were normally right but this still seemed a bit odd.

"No, nothing like that. I just wanna make sure the talking thing is all I got. I'd prefer to test this sort of thing out with Animals I trust. And yes, I could ask Chester but then I wouldn't know if it was just cuz I have his energy in me. Please, Den? If I can, I promise I won't activate the link without your permission," he pleaded. Den sighed but he didn't see the harm in it, though it still felt weird. If Ed could sight link with him than he could with other Animals and he was a little uncomfortable with the idea. "Now, correct me if I'm wrong but both parties have to agree to the link right?"

 _"Yeah. If you tried to link with Ayala and she didn't want to, the link would fail. It doesn't hurt either party but it's gotta be agreed upon by both the human and the Animal."_ Den knew that from experience. He'd tried to link with Pinako while she was on a date without him and she'd denied it.

"Okay. So, Den, do you wanna try it? See if I can?" Ed asked. He was leaving it up to Den. If he didn't then they wouldn't. Den thought it over for a couple of minutes.

 _"Okay, let's try this,"_ he finally agreed. Ed shut his eyes and Den followed suit. It was how all bonded pairs activated their sight share the first time. For some reason, it made it easier. Once Ed felt the frail bond between him and Den, he latched onto it and said the command.

"Den, sight!" Both opened their eyes and Ed could see himself. It was unnerving, looking at himself and then suddenly he wasn't. Den looked around and Ed saw what he did. The link had worked! "Okay, I'm disconnecting it now." A second later, Den was back in his sight and he was in his body.

 _"Wow,"_ was all Den could say. He'd half expected it not to work because it shouldn't have been possible. Even Animals can't sight-share with each other. Sight-sharing with a being who wasn't his bonded human was beyond odd.

"You can say that again." Ed looked as shocked by this development as Den felt. "I honestly didn't expect it to work. Maybe with Chester because of his energy but not with you. It was just a wild theory. How is it possible I can sight-share with you?" He looked at Den, practically begging for an answer.

 _"I have no idea, Ed. You must've been given the knowledge and just not remembered it. It's the only explanation that makes any sort of sense to me,"_ Den answered honestly. Ed sighed and slumped back in his wheelchair.

"You're probably right. Thanks Den. For everything." Ed smiled tiredly at him. He was still in some pain and he was getting tired which meant it must be nearly dinner time. Den smiled at him and trotted out the room to find Pinako and tell her about Ed's newest ability. Ed watched him go then resumed gazing out the window. The sky was beginning to turn from orange to dark blue which meant he was right about the time. Al, Ayala and Chester shouldn't be too much longer before they're back. He wanted to test his second theory out but he needed to wait another day or so before he could.

* * *

It wasn't much longer before he heard the now familiar clanging of Al's armour, indicating his arrival. When his brother walked through the door, Ed immediately saw why he'd taken a bit longer than he'd thought. His little brother was carrying a lot more than the agreed upon books. Ed grinned at him. Noting the absence of the two Animals, he figured they were doing a scout around the house. Both Animals trusted the military as much as Granny did.

"Did you raid our whole library?" He asked teasingly. Al chuckled at him.

"Nearly. The book you first thought of was hidden behind all the books we'd read after it." He placed the pile on the table and pulled one carefully from the stack. "Here. This is it, right? You stopped your shared vision before I could check." Ed winced a little guiltily. He looked at the cover and nodded but made no move to grab it. He wanted that information but he was seriously tired. "Good. So why did you end the shared vision? I thought you were trying to go for a new record."

"I thought of a couple of things I wanted to test out. One has to wait another couple of days though," Ed said, frowning in annoyance. He hated having to wait to prove his theories right or wrong.

"The other thing?" Al prodded.

"Oh yeah. I wanted to see if the telepathy was the only new thing I could do with Animals and I asked Den to help me out. Apparently, I can sight-share too," Ed informed him. Al dropped the book he was holding in shock.

"Seriously? You can sight-share with other Animals? Hey, why didn't you ask Chester first?" Al asked as he bent down to grab the book.

"I really didn't think I'd be able to, if I were being honest." Ed sighed. "I asked Den because I wanted to see if I could sight-share with an Animal whose energy wasn't inside me. If I could with Den, I can with others," he explained simply.

"BOYS! DINNER!" A sudden shout from Winry startled them both. Ed's stomach growled out loud. Al laughed at him and pushed him towards the dinner table in the kitchen. Winry was finishing setting the table and Granny was placing the food down, ready for them to eat. Al was touched that they always set a place up for him, refusing to leave him out of anything.

"Call your Animals inside before Den eats their dinner too," Granny told them. Both boys sent a message to their respective Animal and before long, Ayala and Chester were scrabbling through the door, ready for food. Ed served himself and happily dug in while Al sat and watched. Granny and Winry were a bit more civilised and ate like they weren't starving to death. "So, Edward, Den tells me you two had a productive afternoon," she said pointedly.

"Yeah. I still can't believe it actually worked," Ed said through a mouthful of potatoes. His attention was grabbed by Ayala.

 _"What worked? Is it why you stopped sight-sharing with me?"_ She didn't pause in her eating at all.

"Yeah. I had a theory and Den helped me test it out. I can sight-share with other Animals." That made her stop eating. Chester stopped as well.

 _"Seriously? So you can talk and sight-share with other Animals now?"_ Ayala sounded upset. Ed frowned at her.

"Yeah, it looks that way. What's wrong?" He asked that last part telepathically.

 _"It's just... you can hear other Animals and now you can sight-share? That's two major things that are normally exclusively shared between the bonded Animal and human. I guess I'm just upset that you can do that with other Animals. It feels like it's not something that's just for us anymore,"_ she sighed and went back to eating. Ed felt horrible. He didn't think how this would affect her. It wasn't like he'd asked for these abilities but at the same time, he'd been so caught up in how cool it was that he never took her feelings into consideration.

"I'm sorry, Aya. I didn't realise how much this would upset you. I don't plan on using these abilities unless I have too." he said, trying to reassure her.

No one else at the table seemed to realise anything was wrong. He finished his dinner and he and Al excused themselves with Chester and Ayala from the table before heading up to the room. Al went back downstairs while Ed got himself ready for bed only to came back up after a few minutes to find Ed and Ayala curled up together, both already fast asleep. He placed the new books on the floor and arranged the blankets around Ed and Ayala so they were covered better before switching the main light off and turned on the little lamp that emitted barely enough light to read by. Chester was curled up asleep next to him, his back pressing against Al's leg. The walk this afternoon must've been more tiring than he thought. Another bonus for not having a physical body; you didn't get tired walking. Al was determined to see the bright side to his predicament.

Alphonse knew Ed was still beating himself up over what he no longer could do so Al was making a list of things he could do. He wanted to be prepared for the day that Ed had a breakdown. He knew it would happen, especially if he did become a State Alchemist. Ed would have all the pressure of being the military's dog, providing for himself and the two Animals, making sure Al was still okay, keeping the military from finding out about their situation and trying to find a solution to getting their bodies back. Al was prepared to help out but he knew Ed wouldn't let him if he could help it. Al sighed and dragged his focus back to the book he was reading about botanical alchemy.

* * *

Another two days passed before Winry had finished creating her masterpieces for Ed's surgery. When he asked to see the automail limbs, she admitted she hadn't even designed them but she was gonna be spending every waking minute on them while he was recovering from the port installations. Ed realised that even a super automail genius like Winry couldn't be expected to make two ports and two limbs in less than a week, although he never said that out loud. It had taken her until the day after Mustang's visit to talk to Ed again, though neither brought up the State Alchemist thing.

Ayala and Ed had had a big discussion about Ed's abilities and both realised that they'd have to make do with it. Ed had promised that, aside for Chester, he wouldn't sight-share with another Animal unless it was an emergency, something he'd planned on doing as soon as he discovered he could. The talking was less of an issue since both of them had had so long to get used to it. The morning of the surgery, Granny came in with the breakfasts as usual but stayed to discuss the finer details and make sure this was what he definitely wanted.

"Now, I've explained how the ports are attached but you need to understand this," Granny said, sitting on the spare chair. "We can't give you any sedatives or anaesthesia because we have to make sure the nerves aren't damaged. We also can't sedate Ayala, which means she'll feel everything until she either blacks out or the sympathy pain stops. I'll install the shoulder port first, since it's the biggest and most painful job," Granny told him. "You can't have Ayala in with you either. She's not sterile and I can't risk you getting an infection. Den will help look after her but she can't be in the same room," Granny told them before talking over any protests. "You'll be in more pain than you were when you woke up from losing your limbs when you wake up after the surgery. We can't connect your automail until every single nerve had stopped hurting. Don't lie to us about when that is either because if we connect them before you're fully healed, you'll set back your rehab by 6 months. Do you understand, Edward? You'll be awake for the whole thing and Ayala will be too. This decision isn't to be made lightly." She didn't sugar-coat it but that was the best way to do this. She needed both Animal and human to realise this wasn't going to be like a normal surgery. This was going to be horrific.

"We know, Granny. We've discussed this and we both know the risks and what we have to go through. We're willing to do this." Ed wasn't lying. Ever since he'd made the decision, he and Ayala had talked every day about it. Ed knew some of what automail surgery entailed from stories Winry's parents had told and he knew the rest from what Granny had told him when he decided he wanted them. Ayala was prepared to endure the pain he would go through. Pinako saw no hesitation in either of their eyes and left to get the procedure room set up for his surgery.

Since Ed knew he wouldn't be allowed to eat after breakfast, he and Ayala spent the next few hours away with Al and Chester reading and discussing books with each other. Eventually, Granny came up to collect Ed. Al helped him down the stairs and on the table. Winry and Granny shooed him outside and left him, Ayala and Chester to wait on their own. Ayala and Ed hadn't liked hearing they couldn't be in the same room but Granny wouldn't budge on her decision. Al had assured Ed that he'd help Ayala as best he could and both Chester and Den had promised too. Ed still didn't like it but he finally accepted he couldn't do anything about it. Ed watched as Winry and Granny donned surgical scrubs and got themselves ready for the procedure. They hooked him up to oxygen and a heart monitor and after a final check, started the operation.

* * *

Al watched Ayala as she paced worriedly in front of the surgery room. He knew the moment the surgery had started because Ayala collapsed and started whimpering in pain. He knew nothing he could do would make her pain stop but he couldn't do nothing so he gave her soothing pats and whispered that everything would be okay. He couldn't hear his brother, which worried him a bit but he couldn't focus on that. He'd promised Ed he'd help Ayala and he was determined to do that. The whimpers became louder and soon she was howling in pain and the sounds broke his heart. Chester and Den were doing their best by trying to distract her and it was working a bit but not enough.

Eventually, tears started running down Ayala's face, soaking the fur as they went. The hands on the clock seemed to crawl by. Before they started, Granny had said the surgery shouldn't take long, maybe four hours at most. Al didn't know how he'd be able to stay where he was for four hours while his brother's Animal screamed in pain, knowing his brother was in equal pain just on the other side of the door. Soon the sound of drills was added to the mix of noises and Al had a hard time trying not to think of them being pressed into his brother's bones. After a while, the drills stopped and Al still hadn't heard Ed scream. Ayala seemed to be either close to losing consciousness or the sympathy pain was lessening and Al hoped whichever it was would happen shortly. Granny had also explained this to both brothers.

While the human was getting automail installed, the Animals bonded to the amputee felt sympathy pain throughout the whole procedure however the sympathy pain dulled down after a couple of hours of surgery. No one could explain why but people who studied the Bond thought it was a coping trait. If Ayala's sympathy pain was lessening, it meant that the surgery was at least halfway over. A quick check of the clock had shown that nearly two hours had passed. Al was mildly shocked to see that. Soon Ayala's howls of pain were reduced to whimpers once more but Al continued providing what comfort he could and settled down to wait for the surgery to end. Chester asked him a few times how he was coping but other than that none of them really communicated. Ayala's whimpers were done to small groans and finally, the door swung open to reveal Winry.

"Granny wants you to move him upstairs," Winry told him, looking exhausted. "He finally passed out once we were done. Since he has, moving him won't hurt him and it'll be better for him to sleep on that bed. You can take Ayala up there as well but Granny wants to talk to her first," she said as she removed her gloves and scrubs. Al nodded and went in to collect his brother. He saw the shiny ports but his attention was drawn to the bandages wrapped around them. The skin not covered was angry red and painful looking.

"Be careful as you pick him up. Try not to jostle him too much and make sure his shoulder port isn't touching you," Granny ordered as Al walked over. Nodding, he followed her instructions, holding Ed away from his body slightly and headed out. He noticed Ayala was moving very slowly and asked Chester to let her know he'd be back to get her if she wanted. Chester passed her grateful answer along and Al promised to be back in a minute. He made his way up to their room and settled Ed carefully on the mattress. Winry and Granny had followed him up and made themselves busy getting Ed comfortable. Al headed back down and gently scooped Ayala up. He went to put her on Ed's bed when Granny made him stop.

"Until he wakes up and she can sense where his pain is, she can't be on the bed with him. I can't risk her knocking the ports this soon after surgery. She'll have to sleep on the bed on the floor for now. In a couple of days, she can go back up on the bed though." Al did as she said and placed Ayala on the dog bed she'd previously used while unconscious. Ayala did not look pleased at all but Granny wasn't to be moved on her orders. "Now, it goes without saying that no one but me and Winry is allowed to touch his bandages. I'll check on them in the morning. Let me know if anything happens throughout the night."

"Granny?" Al asked before she headed for the door.

"He'll be fine, Alphonse. He's tough," she reassured him.

"I know but that's not what I was going to ask. I wanted to know why I couldn't hear him scream. Is that room soundproofed or something?" He didn't think it was since he could hear the drills when they started. It wasn't that he'd wanted to hear his big brother in immense pain but he was still curious.

"No, nothing like that. You didn't hear him scream because he didn't. Not once throughout the whole surgery. He refused to even whimper. I've seen military men, farmers, coalminers, blokes who could take a lot more pain than the average person on that table cry like babies but your brother didn't even shed a tear. He said he had to be tough since the pain he was about to go through was nothing compared to what you went through." She left the room, leaving a stunned Al behind her.

He looked at his brother with indescribable feelings. He couldn't believe his 11-year-old brother was able to sit through a surgery 80% of amputees opted out of without even crying. Ayala didn't speak to anyone for the whole night before she eventually drifted off to sleep. Chester tried making small talk but Al wasn't really in a talkative mood. He apologised to Chester and suggested the leopard get some sleep, which he reluctantly did. Al spent the night alternating between his books and watching his brother, paranoid something would happen if he took his eyes off him for more than a minute or two.

* * *

Two days passed and Ed been awake for long enough to have some food and use the toilet before he fell back asleep. He told Al his constant sleep was due to the fact that his nerves felt like they were on fire and sleeping was the only way to escape that sensation when he'd asked why he was sleeping so much. Al had just been exceptionally grateful for his brother's constant sleep when Granny had changed the bandages for the first time and he hadn't been able to stop his horrified gasp before it sounded. The scars looked ugly, angry and so painful. Al knew the swelling would go down as his body adjusted to the ports but he pitied his brother. He'd have those scars for the rest of his life. He soon lectured himself for feeling that way because he knew Edward wouldn't want his pity and he wouldn't care about the scars. He'd say they were proof that he survived what they'd gone through. Granny probably heard his reaction but she was nice enough not to say anything to him except that the bandages could come off permanently when the swelling was completely down and the scars were healed.

* * *

It wasn't until nearly nine days after the surgery that Ed was able to stay awake for the whole day. By that time, Winry had announced that she was done with the blueprints for Ed's automail and would start building them the next day. Ed grinned at her enthusiastically, excited at the thought of being that much closer to standing on two feet again. Granny had decided that they should probably start to tailor a plan for Ed's rehabilitation. She also told him that he'd better get used to writing with his left hand since automail wasn't able to perform something as intricate as writing.

So, ten days after the surgery, Ed started learning to write with his left hand. The results weren't legible in the slightest but he was determined. He worked constantly on his writing while Granny spent the next few days working on a rehabilitation plan for him. Ed was surprised that things as simple as putting on his clothes were on the list and Granny explained that if he didn't do it properly, the clothing might snag and he could tear them when he queried it.

Granny then went on to explain that he should consider a new wardrobe. She told him that he'd need to wear pants made of more resilient material like denim or leather so his automail leg wouldn't wear through them as quickly. The shirts, she told him, didn't really matter as long as they weren't half-sleeves as they could get caught in the elbow joint and tear, ruining the shirt and possibly the limb as well. Before he had the chance to comment on that, she was then telling him that he should also invest in a pair of thick-soled boots so his left foot wouldn't wear through the sole as quick. Ed quickly realised that having automail was a little more complicated than he'd thought.

Ayala was just happy to be able to sleep up next to Ed again. She supported him throughout the whole learning process and encouraged him when he felt like it was too much. Eventually, his handwriting went from completely illegible to some-what legible. Four weeks after the surgery, Ed woke up and felt nothing. Absolutely no pain. Al, Ayala and Chester were all excited for him. It was the first time since that night that he'd been completely pain free. He told Granny as soon as she walked through the door to check on him and she smiled and said he could have the limbs connected in a couple of days. Winry wasn't quite finished with her masterpieces yet, what with all the other orders she was working on as well, and she'd wanted Ed's to be perfect.

After making this revelation, his younger brother decided that he should go outside and enjoy the sun and the breeze for once. Ed agreed on the condition that he could take the book that Al brought back for him. Al agreed, not that he really would've protested against it the first place. Sometimes, letting his brother think he got his own was just as good. Ayala and Chester seemed to be happy they were all finally going out together, Ayala especially. She hadn't been outside with her human for ages and she'd missed it. Ed was just happy that Ayala was the happiest she'd been since that night. Ed proceeded to speed read through the book, hoping to find the information he was looking for. Al was happy to sit next to him, watching the two Animals act like animals for once, frolicking and enjoying the sun. Edward's sound of triumph had their attention turn to him.

"The celestial stone that destroyed the city of Xerxes in one night. The grand elixir sealed away by the Eastern Sage. It goes by different names, but it's always the same thing: some kind of object that amplifies alchemy. And that's the Philosopher's Stone. If we could just get our hands on it somehow, I might be able to get your body back," he read out loud excitedly before snarling at it. "Damn books! They tell us everything but how to find it!" He was frustrated at the lack of locating information but more than happy about the fact that they finally had some hope to grab onto. He faced his brother, an exuberant expression on his face. "When I become a State Alchemist, I can use their library to research things like this. I can figure out how to make a Stone or at least where to start looking. We're one step closer to getting you your body back!" If Al could've, he would've grinned at his brother's enthusiasm.

"And you yours," Al reminded him. Ed hummed in agreement but never said anything out loud, presumably going back to the book to see if he could weed out any more information. He'd never told Al but if it came down to one of them being back to normal, he would completely refuse to be that one.

He and Al had both been told, repeatedly, how taxing automail would be. How much it would hurt, the fact that it weighed a ton, every single con to having automail. Ed knew that Al hated the fact that Ed was getting something that would be a massive burden to his system and would have to deal with every day for the foreseeable future. Ed also knew that his baby brother would try and get Ed back to normal first. Ed also knew that he'd rather drink milk than let their possible one-shot be wasted on himself. He didn't think of his future automail as a burden; he thought of it as constant reminder of what they'd been through and the lessons they learned from it. For the moment though, he was happy to sit in the sun reading and watching his Animal act like a puppy.

* * *

While he was waiting for Winry to finish up the limbs, Ed remembered his second theory he'd wanted to test. Between surgery and the recovery, he'd completely forgotten. Hopefully he wouldn't catch her at a bad time but since she was the only Animal he'd only ever talked to once and was living in a different town, he wanted to see if he could talk to her from this distance. So, closing his eyes, he reached out for her and when he sensed the almost invisible link, he sent out a message.

"Hi Nala. It's Edward Elric. You and that colonel visited me in Resembool about a month ago." He could feel her startle at the message and knew he'd gotten through causing him to grin. The Eastern Command was hours away by train and the fact that he'd been able to reach her from here was beyond exciting.

 _"Hello, Edward. I remember you. Kinda hard to forget the only other human who can communicate this way. Are you okay?"_ She sounded a bit worried and a bit more confused. Ed figured that was probably because she never spoke to anyone aside her human or Animals she knew.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry for disturbing you but I wanted to see if I could send you messages from this distance. Nothing's wrong," he apologised. Understanding went through their barely-there bond.

 _"I understand. I'm glad I could help you out. And I'm glad nothing's wrong."_ He could feel her smile.

"Oh, hey before I drop the communication, have you told your human about me being able to do this?" Ed suddenly asked.

 _"Nope. He has no clue. Right now, he's too busy swearing at his paperwork to have noticed my initial shock at hearing from you."_ Nala sounded like this wasn't a one off. Ed couldn't help but laugh.

"Before I forget, I think I should tell you something. I found out that I can sight-share with other Animals too." He didn't know why he was telling her this. They'd had one ten-minute conversation over a month ago.

 _"Really? That's intriguing."_ Nala's curiousity was peaked. _"Did you want to see if it worked long distance too? Is that another reason you contacted me?"_

"I hadn't even thought about it, actually," Edward admitted. He really hadn't.

 _"Did you want to? I admit, I'm curious to see if it would work."_ Nala's voice would've betrayed her curiousity, even if she had admitted to it. Ed thought for a moment.

"Okay, but only for a moment. Winry said she'd be finished making my automail today and Granny wants to connect it as soon as it's done," Ed told her.

 _"You're getting automail?"_ Nala was distracted by that bit of information. She'd never heard of a child getting automail.

"Yeah, I'd decided to get it done the night before your human barged into Granny's home. My ports have been installed and I don't feel any more pain now so the next step is to connect the limbs."

 _"Wow, I admire your courage. Not many adults opt for automail since it's so painful."_ She was truly impressed with this kid. _"Okay, I'm ready to try this whenever you are."_ She closed her eyes and prepared for the sight-share. She faintly felt Edward do the same. She opened her eyes the instant she heard the command. She looked around her humans office, mindful not to actually look at him on the off chance he looked at her and saw the blue rings around her eyes. She felt Edward disconnect them after a few seconds.

"It worked! It was a bit fuzzy but I'm assuming that's from the distance," Ed said, voice giddy. "Thanks for letting me try, Nala. I won't be using that ability with other Animals unless it's an emergency though," he assured her, his voice still ecstatic. Nala couldn't help but feel that way too. There was something about this kid and it wasn't just his one-of-a-kind abilities either. She knew her human had felt something when they'd met Edward.

 _"I'm glad it worked. Hey, did you think about Roy's offer, if you don't mind me asking?"_ She'd actually forgotten until just now the purpose of their visit.

"Yeah, I've decided to accept it," Ed told her. "Your human didn't leave any instructions though. Do I turn up at Eastern command or do I call him first or what?" Sometimes, Nala thought, Roy really did deserve one of the bullets Hawkeye threatened him with.

 _"Call him first and tell him when you're ready to travel. And if you have any questions, just ask me, okay Edward?"_ Nala offered. It felt weird but nice being able to talk to another human like this.

"Thanks, Nala. You can just call me Ed, by the way." A slight pause before he came back. "I gotta go. Winry's nearly finished and Granny wants to talk to me. Bye, Nala and thanks again." She felt the connection break before she could respond. Nala looked at her human. He was still busy complaining about the paperwork. He probably thought she was listening this whole time. He probably also thought she cared. She smiled to herself and leapt up onto the leather couch Mustang insisted she stop sleeping on. Pointedly ignoring the dirty look he sent her, she stretched out and went to sleep.

Edward felt elated and slightly awkward. He felt weird after contacting Nala and he didn't know why. It could be because he'd never asked her permission to contact her. Maybe because she'd been really nice and helpful. He didn't know why he'd told her about the sight-share or the automail or even accepting Mustang's job offer. His musings were interrupted by his brother coming back with the two Animals.

"Hey, why do you look so happy?" Al asked as a way of greeting. Ed raised an eyebrow.

"What? I can't be happy for no reason?" He semi-teased his brother. He didn't know where Granny was. He could of sworn he'd heard her call him when he was chatting with Nala.

"You've never looked happy for no reason," Al shot back as he looked for his book. His brother was right. Dammit.

"Well, remember when I said I had two theories I wanted to test when I asked Den to sight-share with me?" Ayala perked up at this.

 _"What did you do?"_ She immediately asked while Al and Chester both said 'yes'.

"Well, the second theory was to see what the range was when it came to the telepathy thing. I know humans and their bonded Animals can talk to each other from anywhere in the world but since I can talk to Animals I'm not bonded to, I wanted to see if there was a limit on distance." At their 'go on' gestures, Ed continued. "Well, I contacted the only Animal I've spoken to who isn't in this house and it worked. I could speak with her and, at her insistence, we found out I can sight-share that far away too." He finished and waited for the inevitable questions. Surprisingly, these came from Al.

"Well, who was the Animal and how far away are we talking about?"

"She's at Eastern Command in East City and her name is Nala. She's Mustang's Animal." Al's metaphorical jaw dropped. Chester and Ayala's physicals jaws actually dropped.

"You mean the lioness? You spoke to her? How'd you manage that?" Al sat in his usual reading spot but kept his focus on Ed. Chester and Ayala assumed their usual spots too.

"Well, while Mustang was here, I struck up a conversation with his Animal, mainly to see if I could. We had a nice chat while Granny was arguing with Mustang about how immoral his offering a 11-year-old a State Alchemist title was. She was the one who convinced me to at least think the offer over. I don't think I can do the long distance talking with Animals I haven't met face-to-face with, though. I'm assuming it's the same with Animals talking to other Animals?" He phrased the last part as a question and Ayala confirmed his assumption. "The sight-share was only for a few seconds but it worked. It was a little blurry though and I put it down to the distance."

 _"You sight-shared with her too?"_ Ayala asked.

"Yeah. I wasn't going to but she asked if I wanted to see if I had a distance limitation on that ability. Turns out I don't and now I know so that, if there's ever a major need to, I know that I can," he assured her. She could sense he was telling the truth and accepted it. It was hard having the only human who had was able to do these sorts of things. Finally, Granny made herself known by clomping in through the door.

"Didn't you hear me calling you?" She glared angrily at Edward, who barely managed not to flinch.

"Sorry, Granny. I distracted him," Al apologised. Pinako glared at him before focusing her attention back on the older Elric.

"Never mind that. Winry's ready with your automail. The first connections are always the worst so we'll be doing it up here. You'll probably want to sleep afterwards. Your nerves will extremely sensitive after this. Which means," she focused her eyes on Ayala, "you will have to stay off the bed for tonight and probably the better part of tomorrow." Ayala sighed. She'd been expecting that. Ed gave her a one-armed hug to tell her that he wasn't that happy about it either. Hoping down, she made herself comfortable on her bed on the floor. Granny stepped out and headed for Winry's workshop. Ed could feel the nerves building up inside him. He felt like he was going to sick just thinking about.

 _"You'll be alright. You made it through the surgery without shedding a single tear. You can do this,"_ Ayala said soothingly. She was right and Ed knew it. He felt the nausea dissipate and readied himself for the upcoming pain. Granny soon returned, followed by Winry, each woman carrying a limb. Ed hadn't seen many automail limbs but he knew that these were something special. He may not have Winry's automail fetish but he could appreciate well designed things. Winry had his arm and aligned it with his shoulder port and Granny did the same with his leg.

"We're gonna attach both at the same time. That way, you don't have to go through it twice. Are you ready?" Granny asked. Ed nodded his head and prepared himself for the pain. "On three. One. Two. Three!" Both Granny and Winry smoothly inserted the limbs and connected them almost at the exact same time. Bolts of pain shot through Ed's limbs and he felt himself tense as he waited for it to pass. Ayala had whimpered and stiffened from the sympathy pain. After what felt like forever but was really only a few seconds, the pain passed and he relaxed against the mattress and Ayala against her bed.

"Alright, Ed, we need to see if they connected properly. Just wiggle your toes and fingers," Granny asked. Winry and herself were watching for movement. Ed focused for a moment and his fingers and toes moved. Winry, Granny and Ed all looked happy and relieved before making him go through a couple more tests. "Okay, that's good. We'll leave you alone now. You'll be resting for the next two or three days before we start your rehab. Don't try and walk anywhere or lift anything with both arms. When you need to use the bathroom, use the chair. Your nerves need to settle down and get used to the connection. You can move the limbs just don't put any weight on them, got it?" Granny ordered. Ed nodded his compliance. Satisfied, Granny left both boys alone and Winry followed albeit reluctantly.

Ed immediately sat up, even though his body still felt like shards of glass were being pushed into it and set about examining his new limbs. He could bend both limbs at the appropriate joints, he could wiggle each finger and toe and he could touch each finger to his thumb. Overall, he had almost all his functionality back. He lay back against the bed and turned his head so he was looking at his brother.

"We're one step closer to getting that Stone now. Just gotta get through rehab and become a military dog," he grinned tiredly at his brother. Al placed his overly large hand on Ed's golden locks.

"Go to sleep, Brother. You'll need your rest if you want to finish rehab in a year." Ed obeyed his little brother and fell asleep almost right away, Ayala following suit. Al sat back against the wall and grabbed his latest book. Chester sat with him.

 _"I can't believe he got through the surgery and connection without at least crying,"_ Chester commented.

"I can. He's always been stubborn and always determined to not show weakness. That's my brother for you," Al said but he couldn't deceive Chester. Al was just as shocked as everyone else at Ed's pain threshold. Just judging from the pain Ayala was in, Ed should've screamed himself unconscious. Even Granny had said she'd never witnessed anything like it. Chester changed the subject.

 _"Are you reading another botanical alchemy book?"_ He asked, glancing at the pages to try and see the subject.

"Nope. This is one of my father's journals. Ed doesn't know I brought them over here. I just wanted to read them, try and get a sense for who he is," Al tried justifying his reasons.

 _"I get it. I noticed you'd been using that photo Pinako gave you as a bookmark."_ Chester didn't judge him. He knew Al missed his dad and just wanted to feel close to him. Al unconsciously shifted the picture.

"Yeah. Didn't want to lose it," was all he said. Chester could tell it ran a little deeper than that. Al didn't want to forget there was a time when they were a family.

 _"Is the journal interesting?"_ Chester asked as he made himself comfortable and gave Al his undivided attention. It seemed to be the right thing to do because Al's mood lifted and he started recapping the journal for Chester while his brother and his wolf slept.

* * *

Edward stayed in bed like a good patient the next three days. He didn't try and walk or lift anything, just like Granny told him. He was severely tempted to but you only ever disobey Granny's medical orders once. Ed had learned that lesson after their mum passed away and Granny looked after them when Ed had caught a bad flu. Ayala was allowed back up next to Ed the day after the connection, which both she and Ed were happy about.

The day after that, Granny had him stand up for the first time to see how the pain was in his leg. It wasn't horrible but Granny said he still needed another day on full bed rest. She also had him extend his right arm and lift it as high as he could and stop if he felt any twinges or pain. His arm was completely functional and fine. The pain was in his shoulder port. Granny said that it'd go away once his body adjusted to the extra weight.

They'd spent the days going over the rehab plan Granny had made for him. He'd have to learn to walk again, adjusting his step so he didn't stomp everywhere. He needed to learn his own strength again so he didn't break anything he tried to pick up. He needed to learn to fight again. That was, however, the last part of his rehabilitation plan. Granny wanted him to learn how to pull his punches so he didn't put his fist through someone's brain or something like that.

Al was more than happy to offer his assistance with that stage. Granny agreed since he was trained to the same level Ed was but mainly because Ed wouldn't be able to hurt him. Ed was still expected to improve on his handwriting in the meantime and he'd need to re-train with Ayala for their team fighting. Granny rolled her eyes when she learned that he still planned to finish rehab in a year. So, Ed started his training the next day.

* * *

The first month of training was the most difficult. He was learning how to walk again and how to manage his arms strength so he didn't smash things he picked up. While these sorts of tasks weren't just physically draining, they were mentally exhausting. He went to bed frustrated most nights because he'd smashed 9 out of 10 plates that day or because he'd cracked a floorboard walking. Ayala and Al were always there encouraging and Granny and Winry were quick to point out that he was improving but he wasn't improving quick enough for his liking. His handwriting now resembled a messy seven-year-old's instead of chicken scratch, which was the only thing he would begrudgingly admit he was doing well with.

The second month passed much the same as the first only with more dishes left intact and floorboards undamaged. Ed was finally admitting that he was improving. Granny reluctantly added daily walks to his regime so he could strengthen his leg. For that month he returned back to the Rockbells, spitting up blood because he kept walking further than he was capable of. He'd also added things like chin ups to his rehab so he could strengthen his arm. This made Granny yell at him when he threw his breakfast and some blood up.

The third, fourth and fifth months passed the same way. He could go on longer walks and had started jogging. He wasn't spitting blood up or otherwise ruining his health anymore. He still felt he needed to improve faster but at least he only broke a plate every couple of weeks now. His handwriting never got past an eight-year-old's so they assumed it wouldn't. During this time, Nala had contacted him to see how he was coping with the automail, something that both he and Ayala were surprised with. She seemed pleased he was adapting well enough and dropped the conversation. Ed didn't let himself query the randomness and continued with his training.

After the ninth month, Granny announced that he and Al could start sparring. Ed had made great strides with his rehabilitation and even Granny admitted he might be done inside the year mark. The first time they fought, Al flattened Ed. Ed wasn't used to the weight of the automail so all of his moves were useless. They continued fighting until Ed was finally able to land a punch. Each fight afterwards, Ed learned more about what he had to compensate for and was able to adjust his strikes. Al still won all their fights.

The tenth and eleventh months showed Ed's improvement on a bigger scale. He could now pick up anything without hurting it or himself. He knew most of his limitations. He knew how to move his hand to lessen the chance of it getting caught in Ayala's fur or his own hair when he braided it. He could walk around and you'd barely be able to tell he had an automail leg. He was holding his own in his and Al's sparring matches for longer. They started team-fighting with their Animals again and Ed was happy to discover that, despite the lack of practise, Ayala and he were capable of defeating Al and Chester on the odd occasion.

Ed also ventured into town and bought material so he could make himself new clothes and found a store that stocked the boots Winry had suggested. Being a small town, everyone knew the Elric brothers had been in an accident but they didn't know the details. They all offered Edward congratulations on his recovery and asked him to pass their well-wishes onto his little brother. Ed didn't even realise how worried he'd been about peoples' opinions about him changing until he heard that. No one had even commented on his automail, except to pass on their astonishment at his rapid recovery from the surgery.

* * *

A year had passed and he was back to his old self. He could hold an egg in between his finger without breaking it, he could clap Winry on the shoulder with no fear of hurting her. Granny was surprised to announce he'd finished his rehab in the year he'd promised. The only thing he and Al hadn't tested was whether their alchemy worked the same. Al drew a familiar array on the ground and placed his hands next to it. Ed could feel the nerves radiating from Chester and Ayala and realised this would be the first time since that night that either of them tried alchemy. He held his breath and watched the blue activation energy dance as Al created a small horse figurine. Ed released his breath and gave his brother a glowing review. Now it was his turn. Readying himself, he instinctively clapped his hands rather than draw an array and moved the left one over his right forearm, manipulating the metal to extend into a blade. He admired it while Ayala gave her own sigh of relief.

"Wow, Brother! You can do alchemy just like Teacher!" Al exclaimed. Ed was confused.

"You can as well, right?" He'd figured Al had activated that array the old way because he felt like it.

"Me? No. No way," Al had said. Edward was even more confused.

"So you didn't see it?" Now it was Al's turn to be confused.

"See what?" Ed looked at his new blade.

"Never mind - OW!" He rubbed the back of his head where a wrench had just collided. "What's your problem?!" He glared at the blonde who'd thrown it.

"DON'T YOU GO MESSING UP MY AUTOMAIL WITH YOUR FREAKY ALCHEMY!" Winry shrieked at him.

"IT'S MY AUTOMAIL AND I'LL DO WHATEVER I WANT TO IT!" Ed retorted. "BESIDES, IT'S NOT DAMAGED, SEE?" He yelled as he clapped his hands and transmuted the arm back to its original shape. Winry at least had the decency not to continue the argument. She just scoffed and headed to pick up her weapon, muttering about boys and alchemy as she headed back instead. Ed scowled at her, rubbing the back of his head with his flesh hand. Ayala was glaring at Winry's retreating back while the back of her head throbbed with sympathy pain. "YOU COULD AT LEAST HAVE THE MANNERS TO APOLOGISE TO AYALA!" Ed yelled before Winry managed to shut the door. Said blonde poked her head back around the door.

"SORRY, AYALA!" The door slammed behind her.

Ed huffed and turned back to his brother. "Evil witch. Do you wanna spar again?" He asked but Al shook his head.

"No. You look tired, Brother. Let's head inside." Ed was disappointed but he couldn't argue. He ached from their previous rounds of sparring that day. "We can start creating your new clothes instead." Edward smiled at his brother. He'd almost forgotten about the material he'd bought.

They laid it out on the living room floor and Ed clapped his hands together. The bright light flared and dissipated, leaving a perfect pair of leather pants in its wake. Happy with the result, he went and tried them on. Satisfied with fit, he came back out and made another three pairs out of the remaining material. He'd bought himself some tank tops and a black jacket but he still felt like he needed an extra layer. He hadn't found any material he'd liked in Resembool so he planned to go hunting in East City when he applied to be a State Alchemist. He also bought some thick white material and fashioned a pair of gloves so he could hide his automail hand and avoid questions about it.

"Nicely done, Brother," Al exclaimed when Ed finished clothes making.

"Thanks, Al. Hopefully these'll last longer than the stuff I've been wearing the past year." Ed chuckled at the memory of the dozens of pants Granny had to throw away because his automail leg ripped through them.

"I'm sure they will. Hey, Ed?" Al's voice grew a little quieter. Even Chester had a bit of trouble working out what Al wanted to ask.

"Yeah, Al? What's wrong?" Ed asked, worry seeping into his voice a bit.

"Nothing. I just wanted to know when you'd planned to head to East City?" Ed blinked in surprise.

"I-I don't know. I hadn't thought about it, actually. I need to ring Mustang first and find out when he wants me down there," Ed managed to get out. "Do you not want me to apply anymore? Is that the problem?" He was still confused by Al's tone of voice.

"Huh? Oh! No, no, no, no!" He exclaimed, waving his hands in front of him. "I still don't mind you applying. I just wanted to know how long you'd be here so I could spend as much time with you as possible," Al said, fidgeting his fingers nervously.

"Oh," Ed said before he realised what Al had implied. "Hey, you know I'm not joining the military unless you and Chester are allowed to accompany me on missions, right?" Al's and Chester's heads both snapped up in surprise.

"Really?" Al asked for both of them.

"Well, yeah," Ed said, surprised he was even having to explain this. "I am your legal guardian. They can't make me leave you behind. Plus, Mustang knows our situation. He'd have to let me. I've gotta keep you safe and I can't do that if you're stuck here." Ed smiled and placed a comforting hand on his brother's arm. Al's eyes lit up and he hugged his brother.

"Thank you, Brother!" Al exclaimed happily while Ed sputtered at the bear hug. Chester showed his happiness by rubbing against Ed's legs and purring. Al finally realised Ed before he passed out.

"You're welcome. Although, you'll have to stay here while I go apply," Ed held his hand up to stop Al's protest. "No, listen. I don't want to risk you being questioned while you're waiting for me and on the off chance I'm not allowed to be a State Alchemist, I don't want the military to know about your situation at all. It's not up for debate, Al. I won't risk you being taken away from me." The last sentence is what killed off any protest Al was going to make.

"Okay, Brother. I understand. Chester and I'll wait here until you come back and then we can start our search," Al forced his voice to sound happy. Ed was relieved. He'd expected Al to argue about this.

"Thank you." He gave Al a smile.

"No problems. So when do you plan on calling the colonel?" Ed sagged against the chair.

"As soon as I'm convinced I can be civil for five minutes," Ed grumbled. If Nala hadn't said he should call first, Ed would've just turned up at Mustang's office.

"I don't know why you have something against him. You've barely met him!" Al exclaimed. Sometimes, his brother could act like such a child. "You know, the quicker you call him, the sooner it's done," he pointed out. Ed groaned but his brother had a point. Damn him.

"Fine. I'll call him tomorrow morning after breakfast," he gave in.

"Why not now?" Al asked, glancing at the clock and seeing that it was barely 6pm.

"'Cuz we don't know his office hours. He coulda knocked off already. Tomorrow's soon enough," Ed replied lazily. Al wasn't convinced but he couldn't force his brother. He'd do that if he hadn't called Mustang's office tomorrow though. "I'm gonna take these up to our room and have a shower before dinner. You good down here?" Ed asked as he hopped up and gathered his newly made clothes. Al nodded and Ed headed up the stairs. A few minutes later, Al heard the water running. Winry emerged from wherever she'd hidden away once she'd come inside.

"So, did you ask?" She and Al had talked a lot while Ed was doing his early stages of rehab. She knew he was worried about Ed joining the military and being by himself.

"Yeah. He plans on making it a condition on his contract that I be allowed to go with him on missions." Al sounded happy, which Winry was pleased to hear.

"So both of you are going to leave soon?" She didn't like that thought. She still wasn't completely on board with Ed joining the State Alchemists.

"Yeah but we'll visit whenever we can and Ed has to come back for maintenance anyway. Plus, Ed hasn't been guaranteed acceptance into the military yet so we'd only be away when we hear rumours." Al knew she didn't like the idea of Ed joining the military but he didn't realise how sad she'd be if they both left.

"I know but Ed's a genius. There's no way they wouldn't take him on," she said before glaring at him. "Don't you dare tell him I said that."

"I won't, I promise!" Al held his hands up submissively.

"Good." They moved on to a different subject after that, waiting for Ed to emerge from the bathroom so Winry could go for a shower before dinner.

"Shower's free, Win," Ed said, startling them. Despite having the automail foot, Ed moved like a ninja these days. Winry jumped up.

"About damn time. We thought you were asleep in there or something," she teased.

"Hilarious." Ed rolled his eyes. "I needed to wash my hair and didn't want it catching in the automail," he explained as he sat down. He pulled out a brush and Ayala immediately sat in front of him. Winry rolled her eyes and headed for the bathroom.

"Me first then you," Ed told his wolf as he ran the brush through his hair. If he didn't brush it before it dried, it knotted like nobody's business. Ayala let out a disappointed whine but it was just for show. They all knew the nightly routine.

"I can't believe you use the same brush for your hair and for Ayala." Al shook his head as Ed finished with his hair and immediately started on the gold-tinged wolf.

"What? I clean it after I use it on her. Plus my hair's clean when I get out of the shower." Ed didn't see the harm in it. Ayala couldn't care less about their debate. She was in heaven. Her human knew how to brush her fur well. Al watched Ayala turn boneless with pleasure. Chester didn't mind being brushed but they didn't do it every night like Ed and Ayala. Chester preferred grooming himself.

"It's just weird, that's all." Ed snorted.

"In case you haven't noticed, weird is normal around here." Al laughed. His brother made a good point. Ed had just finished brushing Ayala when Granny called them to the table and Winry had reappeared. They sat themselves down and dug in, Ed with a bit more gusto than anyone. Because of the automail, he ate nearly four times what everyone else did and he snacked constantly.

"So, Ed, have you decided when you're going to East City?" Granny asked once they'd all eaten their fill. Granny was still against Ed's decision but had realised about ten months ago that she couldn't change his mind so she'd stopped trying.

"Um, no. I've gotta call Mustang in the morning to see when he wants me out there," Ed told her. Granny nodded.

"Okay, let us know so we can check the trains schedule tomorrow. We may as well get the shopping done tomorrow while we're in town." Ed was grateful she wasn't arguing about this anymore. She hopped up from the table. "It's your turn to clean up tonight, boys," she reminded them as she headed off. Winry grinned and headed for her workshop to get some more work done on orders she had. Ed groaned and started collecting dishes to wash. Once he'd managed not to break a single dish for a week straight, Granny had started him, Al and Winry on a rotating schedule for dish washing.

Once done, he headed for his room with Al, Ayala and Chester all in tow. They stayed up and read for a bit, debating points in the books and testing some of the tamer theories until Ed and the Animals crashed for the night. Al then did his nightly routine. He pulled the blankets around Ed so he was warm. He gave Ayala a pat on the head and placed his brother's book on the ground. He switched the lamp on and the main light off. He sat next to Chester and bade him a good night before resuming his reading.

* * *

The next morning, Ed dressed in what would be his everyday attire. He'd been wearing the boots whenever he went into town so he could break them in and now they were nice and supple. He put his gloves on so he could braid his hair without risking the blonde strands getting caught in the metal. Once dressed, he headed downstairs and joined his brother and the Animals at the table for some breakfast. Once he finished, his brother chose to remind him about his promise the day before.

"You gotta call the colonel." Ed sighed and looked at the clock. It was nearly 7:30am.

"I'll call him a bit later. It's way too early now. He might not even be in yet," Ed argued. "I'll call him at 10, okay?"

"Okay. But you better call. Granny wants to go into town before lunch," Al said.

"I will. I'll call him at 9:30. That way we'll have plenty of time, okay?" Ed hated himself for offering the compromise but he didn't want to risk Granny's wrath if they had to leave late.

"Okay, Brother. What do you wanna do in the meantime?" Al asked. Ed thought for a bit. There was still an ability he and Ayala shared that he hadn't made sure was still there.

"Let's team-fight." He wanted to test his and Ayala's extra ability and make sure it worked. With both Animals on board, they headed out the back to the sparring area. Both teams took their fighting stances and after a moment's pause, started the fight.

* * *

By the end of it, Ed had his answer and everyone bar Al was panting from the effort. Ed had suffered some minor bruising and a couple of scratches from Chester's claws that he hadn't dodged in time. Ayala and Chester suffered much the same fate. If Al had been human, he wouldn't have come out unscathed either. In team fights, both sides were fairly evenly matched. Al took pleasure in the fact that he still kicked Ed's arse in one-on-one fights. Ed and Ayala were pleased their final unique ability was still intact. They headed inside to patch themselves up and see if it was time for Ed to make his phone call.

Ed pointedly ignored the clock as he headed straight for Granny's non-emergency emergency first aid kit. He checked the scratches on his arm and decided they needed cleaning out but nothing more. He checked Ayala over and cleaned out her wounds but they weren't anything serious. He did the same for Chester since his fingers weren't as bulky as Al's. Satisfied both Animals wouldn't die of their wounds, he finally checked the clock. He was surprised to see it was nearly 10am. He didn't think their sparring had gone for that long. Before Al could prod him along, he made his way to the phone. Picking it up, he dialled the operator and waited for them to answer.

"Hi, can you connect me to Eastern Command, East City please?" The pleasant voice on the other end of the line patched him through. Ed took the time to steady his nerves. A female voice eventually picked up the line. "Hi, can you patch me through to Colonel Roy Mustang please?" A pause. "Edward Elric." Another pause. "Thank you." Ed had never had to be this well-mannered in his life. He didn't know how his brother managed it. After a minute, Mustang finally picked up.

"Roy Mustang speaking." He even sounded arrogant on the phone. Ed reminded himself to use his manners.

"It's Edward Elric. I'm calling to find out more about becoming a State Alchemist." He made his tone nice and pleasant. Al gave him a thumbs up in encouragement.

"Ah, the boy from Resembool, yes?" Ed counted to three before answering. As if the bastard didn't remember who he was. He'd only committed and survived the greatest taboo in alchemist history.

"That's be me. What do I gotta do to sign up to become a State Alchemist?" The Colonel had ignored him before. He refused to let him do it a second time.

"There's an exam you have to take. It consists of written, physical and practical portions. Overall, it should take you two days to complete, assuming you pass each part." An exam. Fantastic. He could deal with that.

"When's it next being held?" Slightly curt but still passable as polite.

"Officially, they're held three times a year. However if you're being recommended by a high-ranking military official, you can apply anytime." Smug prick. Ed couldn't help his response.

"Are you a high-ranking official?" Al smacked his hand on his forehead. Ayala and Chester cackled in Ed's head.

"Yes," came the curt reply.

"Brilliant. Are you willing recommend me?" Ed decided cutting this phone call short would be in his best interests.

"I've seen evidence of what you can do and I'm willing to recommend you." Mustang still sounded smarmy.

"Yay me. Okay, when do you want me to head in for the exam?" A slight pause.

"Correct me if I'm wrong," he didn't sound like he thought he was, "but aren't you getting automail installed?"

"I've had it installed." Ed wanted to know where this was going. "Your point?"

"My point being, doesn't recovery and rehabilitation take at least three years? I made you that offer a bit over a year ago." The colonel was doing a very good job at hiding his confusion. Ed could still tell it was there though.

"I completed my rehab about a fortnight ago. I waited until now to call you because I needed the extra time to get me and my Animal's fighting skills back up to the level they should be. So when can I take this exam?" Screw being polite anymore. Ed counted it as mission accomplished if he didn't start swearing.

"Impressive." Mustang hid his surprise well. "You're welcome to head to East City this week, if you'd like. The exam will be held in Central but I think you and I might need to work out some conditions, don't you?" Back to being the smug arsehole.

"Yeah, we do. I'm heading to town later today to get the train schedule. I'll give you a call back to let you know when to expect me. That okay with you?" Ed was pretty sure his voice conveyed that he didn't really care if it was.

"I'll give you my direct line." He rattled off a phone number. Ed repeated them to Ayala so she could tell him later. "I look forward to your call." A dial tone told Ed the call had been disconnected. Rude. He grabbed some paper and a pen and Ayala repeated the phone number for him. He left it next to the phone and finally turned to face his brother.

"I didn't swear," he pointed out. "I didn't even raise my voice."

"You were rude," Al countered.

"So was he!" Ed retorted. Al sighed.

"I'll go tell Granny we can go into town whenever." He headed off to do so.

 _"Honestly, I think you did fine,"_ Chester said with a slight smirk as he trailed after his owner.

 _"That could've gone a lot worse and I think you handled yourself well considering."_ Ayala was still amused. Thanks to their hearing, both Animals had picked up on Mustang's side of the conversation. Ed smiled at her.

"Thanks, Aya and Chester. I still can't believe how Al is able to remain as polite as he is for as long as he does." He once again marvelled at his brother's strength to hold back snarky or sarcastic comments in conversations.

 _"Hello, Ed."_ A voice he hadn't heard in months sounded in his head.

"Nala?" He asked, confused. How come she was contacting him? Ayala had no idea either.

 _"Yes. My human seems to have just gotten off the phone with someone who was interested in becoming a State Alchemist. That wouldn't be you, would it?"_

"Yeah. I should be leaving for East City in the next couple of days." Now it made sense. She was just checking to see if it was him who'd called.

 _"I thought so. Roy isn't used to people who don't talk respectfully to him over the phone. I figured it had to have been you, considering how your first meeting went with him and the context of the call."_ She sounded amused.

"Haha, yeah. Good reasoning." He was glad she wasn't angry at him for dissing her human. Ayala hated it when people spoke badly about him.

 _"I think you working for him will bring his ego down a much-needed peg or two. I guess we'll see. I look forward to seeing you in a couple of days."_ Ed laughed and told her he would and she ended the connection.

 _"She doesn't seem too bad,"_ Ayala admitted.

"Yeah, she's so different from her human. It's kinda weird," Edward remarked. Ayala hummed in agreeance and they both went to find everyone else. Granny, Al, Chester and Den were all waiting on the front porch when Ed and Ayala joined them. "Where's Winry?" He looked around for the wrench-wielding lunatic.

"She's staying here to try and finish some orders up. She gave us a list though." Al held up the list and Ed noted there was a lot written on it. "We were just waiting for you. Let's go now." Ed nodded and followed them down the path.

* * *

The walk into town wasn't eventful. Ayala chased and caught a squirrel. Chester used the trees to work on his stealth mode. Den plodded along next to Granny. It was agreed that they'd go straight to the train station so they didn't have to carry around any shopping so once they entered town, that's where they went. Ed went up the bloke working the ticket counter and got a train schedule for trains heading to East City. Thanking the man, he re-joined the others and looked at the paper in his hand.

"So there's a train that leaves tomorrow morning at 6 or one that leaves tomorrow night at 6. The next train isn't until two days later with the same times," he told them once he read them. Granny and Al looked at each other.

"Well, which one do you want to catch? If you get the one that leaves at 6:00pm, you'll get into East City late that night. You'll be tired and the train isn't the best place to sleep. If you got the 6:00am one, you'd get to East City by mid-day and you'll be more awake," Granny told him.

"Yeah but I can always get a hotel and get a couple hours sleep before heading to Eastern Command later that day if I get the 6:00pm one," Ed pointed out but Granny shook her head.

"I wouldn't risk it. I think you should catch the 6:00am train in three days. Until you're accepted as a State Alchemist, you need to watch your spending," Granny argued. Ed almost face-palmed at the fact that he hadn't even thought of his money.

"Okay, you've made your point. I'll get the 6:00am train in three days." That would give him plenty of time to pack whatever he'd need and get used to the idea of being away from Al.

"Good. Now let's go get the shopping done." Granny led them to the first shop they needed to visit.

Al and Ed didn't need to buy much. Ed would need a suitcase and they always checked the bookstore for new alchemy books. Once their short to-do list was done, they caught up with Granny and had lunch at a little cafe before carrying on. Unsurprisingly, everything Winry needed was automail related. Granny bought what she'd asked and paid extra for the shopkeeper to have it delivered later that day. They did the grocery shopping which Ed offered to pay some of since he was eating most of it. Granny let him pay for the food to be delivered and that was it. Stubborn bat. Granny also needed to get medical supplies ordered in to restock her practice. They were finished and headed home by 2:00pm.

"You'll have to call the colonel as soon as we get back, Brother," Al reminded him.

"I know. I planned on it." Ed had really planned on it. The sooner he did it, the sooner he didn't have to think about it.

"You need to behave yourself this time." Al was starting to nag.

"I behaved myself last time," Ed hissed.

"You insulted him," Al pointed out.

"He deserved it," Ed told him.

"You can't be rude. He's doing you a favour." Al was definitely nagging.

"I didn't yell or swear. I wasn't any ruder than he was and he's got some sort of agenda, getting me to join the military. I know he does," Ed argued. Backing an eleven-year-old to join the military as a State Alchemist was beyond risky. Mustang had to be getting something out of this. He didn't seem like the kind of man who'd do it without it being beneficial for him. Ed just didn't know what he got out of it.

"You should still be nicer." Al didn't bother arguing the last point.

"I'll try," Ed sighed. Hopefully, it would be an extremely short conversation. Ayala and Chester had wisely decided to stay out of this little argument. Once they got home, Ed made a beeline for their room to dump his new suitcase and the two books he'd bought. Heading back down, he beelined for the phone so his brother wouldn't get the chance to nag him again. Dialling the number he'd written on the paper, he listened to it ring before it cut off when Mustang picked up.

"Roy Mustang speaking." Nice thoughts, Edward, nice thoughts.

"It's Edward Elric." That wasn't so hard.

"Oh, Ed. I take it you got the train schedule." Ed's eye twitched. He hadn't told Mustang he could call him Ed. Bastard.

"Obviously." Screw nice thoughts. Back to plan B. Don't swear. "I'm catching the 6:00am train out of here in three days' time. It shouldn't take me more than 4 or so hours to get to East City."

"Okay. I'll have someone pick you and your Animal up from the train station. We can talk that afternoon once you arrive. Just for curiosity's sake, will your brother and his Animal be joining you?" Ed narrowed his eyes. He did sound genuinely curious.

"No. He's staying here."

"Okay. Now which Animal is yours again? So I can tell whomever I send out." Fair enough. Having an Animal with colouring as unique as Ayala's was bound to be easy to spot.

"The wolf. She has gold-tinged fur, if your next question was about her appearance."

"Good guess. I'll see you in three days, Edward." He must've picked up on Ed's tone when he called him Ed.

"See you then." Ed took the liberty of hanging up this time. It felt good. He faced his brother, ready to verbally defend himself. Al sighed.

"At least you didn't insult him or swear at him." Al figured that was the best his brother could do when talking to someone he didn't have a great impression of. Ed breathed a sigh of relief. "How about we have another spar?" Al offered, figuring that would help his brother work off the urge to hit something. Ed accepted gladly.

* * *

Ed and Al spent the next day reading some alchemy books. Al wanted to read the new ones he'd bought but Ed decided to keep his for the train. He'd pinch Al's new books once he'd finished them as well. They debated the theory and got into a full-blown argument over a point one author made. One alchemic transmutation later, Al ended up apologising to Ed.

* * *

The day after that, Ed and Al spent the morning sparring. They were trying to fit in as much as possible since neither would be able to train against each other for a few days. That afternoon, Ed and Ayala went to visit their home. Ed hadn't been since the night of the transmutation, unless you counted the times he sight-shared with Ayala. Everything was as he'd seen through Ayala's eyes. The place was dusty but not horribly so. He really had one goal in coming here and that was to see the place where he'd fucked up their chance at a normal future.

He headed for the basement, Ayala tagging along albeit reluctantly. He needed to see what was left so he knew what he had to do to erase all evidence of that night. Mustang had clearly spotted something that told him what they'd done. When he entered the room, he immediately saw what it was. The faint outline of the array was still there. He looked around and saw the faint stain on the wooden floorboards and realised it was from his blood. Bile started rising up his throat and he fought to keep it down. He looked at the middle of the array and his mind kept flashing images of what they'd created. He looked away. Clapping his hands together, he erased what was left of the chalk outline and hightailed it out of the room, Ayala hot on his heels.

Leaning against the closed door, he heaved in lungful's of air, trying to calm himself down before he had a panic attack or threw up. Or both. Ayala helped by pressing her warm body against his right side and sending soothing waves through their bond. After a few minutes, he was calm enough to leave the house without his legs threatening to give way. By the time he made it back to the Rockbells, he was completely fine. He had dinner with them and headed up to his room to pack what he needed so he was ready the next morning. Once he'd finished packing, he headed for a shower. Upon emerging from the shower, he found Al, Granny, Winry and the Animals all in his room.

"What's up?" He asked as he entered the room.

"Since you're leaving so early, Winry and I wanted to say goodbye now. Al and Chester want to walk you to the train station tomorrow and neither of us will be up as early," Granny explained. Winry hoped up and gave him a hug. Surprises, he gave her a hug back.

"I may not like the idea of you joining the military but I can't stop you so good luck with the exam!" She said as she let go of him. "And don't you dare mess up my automail." She held a wrench threateningly.

"Me and _my_ automail will be fine. Thank you," he smiled at her and Winry headed to her room.

"Make sure you've packed everything and please try not to hit Mustang. You and I may be on the same page when it comes to that man but he is a military officer. If you have to hit him, just refrain from using your automail." Granny winked at him and patted his arm as she waited for Den.

"I'll try to remember that. Thanks, Granny." He laughed at her.

 _"Good luck, Ed. I have every faith you'll be a State Alchemist when you come back,"_ Den told him. Ed gave his ears a scratch as a thank you and both Granny and Den left. He turned to face the only occupants still in his room.

"What? No heart-felt well wishes from you two?" He laughed as Al pegged his own pillow at him.

"Oh shut up and make sure you've packed everything. You've got an early start tomorrow. Get some sleep." Ed put his pillow back and tossed the books he wanted to take in his suitcase. Once done, he closed and alchemically sealed it so it wouldn't accidentally open on the train.

"Good night, little brother. Don't forget to wake me up bright and early," Ed said as he waited patiently for Ayala to get comfortable.

"Don't you worry, Ed, I'll get you up. Good night," he said as he switched the lights off.

* * *

True to his word, Al got a grumbling Ed and Ayala up early. 3:30am to be exact. He made his brother go into the bathroom to get ready for the day while he took the suitcase and Ayala downstairs. Chester had volunteered to stay upstairs in case Ed tried crawling back in bed. Al had just finished preparing his breakfast when Ed shuffled into the dining room and sat. His hair was a mess. Al placed the food in front of his half-awake brother and took the hairbrush from him. He slowly started detangling the knots for Ed but didn't bother with trying to plait it. His fingers were too big and incapable of creating a braid. Once Ed had finished his food and the coffee his angel of a brother had made him, he plaited his own hair.

They washed the breakfast dishes up and by quarter past four, were heading for town. The sun hadn't even thought about rising yet so they were relying mostly on memory and Chester and Ayala's keener eyesight. Ed moved his suitcase to his right hand and tiredly rubbed his eyes with his left. Finally they made it to the train station with an hour to spare. The ticket salesperson seemed about as awake as Ed. Neither spoke much more than requesting the ticket and requesting the money. Once Ed had been given his change, he and Al headed for the bench to wait for the train. Ayala and Chester curled up at their feet. Ed dozed for most of the time while Al did what people-watching he could. Resembool was small and not many people were awake at this time. The sound of the train pulling in startled Ed and the Animals awake. Standing up, Ed stretched and grabbed his suitcase again. When the conductor announced passengers could board, Al finally spoke.

"Good luck, Brother. Please don't hurt the colonel and please behave yourself," Al practically begged. "I'll miss you and I'll see you when you get back." Ed tapped him on the chest plate.

"I can't promise either of those things. I'll contact Chester and let him know when we get there and what's going on as soon as I know. I'll miss you too and I'll see you in a few days." Al laughed and waved his brother onto the train. The older Elric sat at a window close to Al and smiled at him. Ayala made herself comfortable on the train seat. "Love you, little brother," Ed said through the open window.

"Love you too, Ed," Al said as the train pulled away. They waved to each other until they were both out of each other's sight. Al sighed. "Come on, Chester. We should head back." He started the long walk back to the Rockbells, Chester walking by his side.

Ed slid the window shut and leaned against the cool glass. Ayala rested her head in his lap. Neither felt the need to speak. Eventually, Ed nudged Ayala aside and curled up on the seat, his flesh arm pillowing his head and tried to get some sleep. Ayala didn't protest and adjusted herself so she was more comfortable. After about an hour, Ed woke up feeling a bit more rested and sorer than when he boarded. He headed for the toilet and when he came back, he pulled a book out to read. Ayala was still asleep. Someone did come by to check his ticket but aside from that they were left to their own devices. The train stopped twice more to let people on and off but Ed and Ayala took no notice. The entire trip went smoothly.

Ed finished his first book and was about pull out a second when the conductor's voice filled the carriage announcing they'd be in East City within twenty minutes. Ed decided against the second book and alchemically sealed his suitcase up again. By this time, Ayala had woken up. She wandered off to find the Animal bathroom and came back to join her human in scenery watching. Edward was excited and nervous. He'd been in East City before while his mother was still alive but it had been so long. He still knew what to expect; a lot of people, loud noises, smells but he was still heading into the unknown.

* * *

Finally, Ed felt the train slow down and eventually crawl to a stop. There was a momentary pause where everyone was quiet while the conductor announced the station and then everyone was moving. It seemed most people were getting off here. Ed grabbed his suitcase in his right hand thus eliminating the risk of it being swiped. His automail hand didn't let go of anything unless he let it. He and Ayala joined the line of people who were heading for one of the exits. Ayala stayed pressed against him so she didn't get separated from him in the crowd. They finally forced their way out and were overpowered by the sensory overload. Ed was definitely not prepared for the assault the train station would have on his system. Grimacing, he looked around for an exit or at least somewhere quieter when he thought he heard his name being called. Ayala's ears perked up and she looked to their left.

"Can you hear someone calling me?" Ed asked her, trusting her ears more than his.

 _"Yeah. They're over this way. Just follow me,"_ she said and headed towards the voice, Ed keeping his left hand on the scruff of her neck. He shouldered people out of their way and eventually spotted someone dressed in the blue uniform of the military. Taking a wild guess, Ed presumed this was the person Mustang had sent to get him. Ayala agreed and soon they headed over to him. The man had blonde hair cut close to his head and a lit cigarette dangling from his mouth. He was tall and loud as he shouted Ed's name again. Yup, definitely the right dude. He looked nice enough. Ed looked for his Animal as he approached the man and spotted it down next to his feet. It was a rooster that had light brown neck and body feathers, dark brown wings and black tail feathers. It was a stunning Animal. Ed and Ayala finally reached the man.

"Colonel Mustang send you to get me?" He asked. The man looked him and Ayala over.

"If you're Edward Elric than yes I am," he replied, sticking his hand out for Ed to shake. "I'm 2nd Lieutenant Jean Havoc. My Animal's name is Mark." Ed grasped his hand.

"Edward Elric. Call me Ed. This is my Animal, Ayala." He shook his hand and gestured to Ayala. Havoc concealed his surprise at the automail well. Ed was impressed.

"Pleased to meet you." He didn't even mention the automail. Ed was liking this man more.

"Likewise," he replied as he picked his suitcase back up. Havoc motioned for him to follow. Ed obliged, keeping one eye on the rooster. He didn't want to accidentally stand on it.

They headed for a sunlit parking lot and Ed had to squint so his eyes could adjust quicker. Once that happened, he got his first good look at East City. He took in everything; the buildings, the colour, the people and the animals, Spirit or not. Havoc waited patiently for Ed to get his bearings. They reached his car and Havoc unlocked the boot for Ed to place his suitcase in. Havoc climbed in the driver's side and, after a brief moments hesitation, Ed climbed in the back with Ayala. Havoc didn't say a word and left the door open for his Animal to follow suit. They pulled out of the parking lot and Havoc finally spoke again.

"So, Ed. How'd you get on the bossman's radar?"

 **A/N- The revised chapter 8 for you all! Enjoy and I'll see you next week**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9-**

Havoc's question threw Ed a bit though he knew he really should've expected something like it. He figured it wasn't very often that someone in the military tried to recruit an 11-year-old child into the military. However, he didn't want to answer the question until he knew exactly what Mustang had told his team. The man said he wouldn't tell the military but maybe he didn't include his team in that promise.

"How much has he told you?" Ed asked, deciding to find out. Havoc shrugged a shoulder.

"Not much," Havoc admitted. "He told us he'd met you on his trip to Resembool last year and offered you the chance to become a State Alchemist. He said you and your brother were involved in some kind of accident and that you were young. Mentioned you were pretty handy at alchemy." Ed let himself breath again. Mustang had told them the bare minimum.

"That's pretty much it," Ed told him. "He told us that he'd come to Resembool because of rumours about a powerful alchemist. He'd expected to find my father and he got me and my brother instead," he said, nearly snarling as he mentioned his father. Havoc raised an eyebrow but didn't comment. "We'd been in accident a few weeks beforehand so we were at my neighbours. She's a doctor and a family friend. He must've seen some of our experiments while he raided our house and he was interested. He found us at our neighbours and offered me the job. Once I got cleared, I gave him a call back and here we are," Ed said it like it was the most uninteresting story ever. He continued to watch the scenery crawl by as they made their way through town. Ayala was doing the same thing.

"If you don't mind me asking, how old are you? You don't look much older than 11." Havoc had been told that Ed was young but he was expecting a 14-year-old at the minimum.

"Close. I'll be 13 next year." Havoc mouth hung open.

"You're 12?!" He exclaimed. Ed nodded, confused. Didn't Mustang mention he was young? "How are your parents letting you join the military that young?" He almost missed the way Ed stiffened and knew he'd hit a touchy subject.

"My mum died three years ago." He glared out the window. "My father had better be dead. It's just me, my brother and our Animals. I needed a job that provided me with an income and the ability to achieve my goal so Mustang offered me one." Ayala whined and pressed her body against his for comfort. Ed wrapped an arm around her and gave her a squeeze as thanks. Havoc noticed their actions and felt bad for asking. They feel into a slightly uncomfortable silence. Ed suddenly remembered the promise he'd made to Al. Closing his eyes, he felt for his connection with Chester. Latching on, he sent a message.

"Hey, Chester," Ed said, getting the big cat's attention. "Let Al know we got to East City okay. One of Mustang's men picked us up and we're heading to the command now and before Al asks, yes the man is nice and yes, I am behaving myself. I trust everything's good your end?" He felt Chester pass the message on, even if he couldn't hear it.

 _"Al says he's happy you made it and that you're being nice. Everything's good over here. I take it you'll contact me again after your meeting with the colonel?"_ Chester replied back.

"Yup, that's my plan. Hopefully it won't take too long. I'm not sure how long I can keep holding back my sarcasm. I might explode!" He said dramatically and was rewarded with Chester laughing at him.

 _"Your brother and I have every confidence you'll survive,"_ Chester said dryly. _"Let me know when you're done. Talk to you then."_ Ed said goodbye and ended the conversation in time to hear Havoc announce they'd arrived. Ed looked out the window and took in Eastern Command. It was big and there were plenty of soldiers. It screamed 'military building'. A soldier checked Havoc's ID at the gate and waved them through. He pulled into the parking lot and Ed let himself and Ayala out.

"Don't worry about your suitcase," Havoc said as Ed went to move around to the boot to get it. "It's safe in there until you're done with Colonel Mustang." Ed nodded and followed Havoc and Mark into the building. Ayala trailed behind, nose working overtime. There were so many new scents!

"Come on, Aya, or you'll get left behind!" She looked up and saw Ed a few metres ahead of her. She ran toward him and he ruffled her ears. "I know there's lots of new scents but you can figure them out on the way outta this place, okay?" Ayala figured that was a fair compromise. Havoc smiled at them and they carried on.

* * *

They passed plenty of soldiers and their Animals on their way and Ed and Ayala got more than a few looks. Ed couldn't believe how many different Animals there were here. He'd seen a couple of snakes, a rat, a tiger, a miniature horse and a crane, as well as the usual dogs, cats and birds. They finally reached a doorway and Havoc placed his hand on the doorknob.

"You need a minute? I know it's overwhelming, all the people and Animals," he asked kindly. Ed looked at Ayala and they both nodded.

"We're good." He smiled at Havoc. Havoc nodded and opened the door. Ed and Ayala followed him and Mark through and was greeted by the rest of Mustang's team.

"Everyone, this is Edward Elric and his Animal, Ayala." Havoc stayed next to him, which Ed was slightly grateful for, and handled the introductions.

The first man was an older man who was introduced as Warrant Officer Vato Falman. Ed shook his hand and Falman introduced him to his Animal, a yellow Stingray named Rachel. Ed hadn't seen a water Animal ever as they were less common overall inland. He knew they used the energy to change the air around them to mimic water so they'd survive out of it. He didn't get a chance to study her any more closely because he was next introduced to a slightly portly man with red hair, 2nd Lieutenant Hayman Breda. Ed shook his hand and was introduced to his Animal, a Spotted pig whose name was Dubuffet but preferred being called Du. Breda was replaced by the youngest looking member of the room, a black-haired, bespectacled man who was introduced as Sargent Kain Fuery. His Animal was perched on his shoulder, a pretty Pied Crow and was introduced as Kara. The last person left was the only woman in the room. A hard glare from her sent all the men scrambling to get back to work, excluding Havoc. Holding her hand out, she introduced herself.

"I'm 1st Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Edward." The name rung a bell and he remembered as he grasped her hand.

"Oh! You're the soldier who Winry spoke to when Mustang was talking to Granny and me. It's nice to meet you too. This is Ayala." He let go of her hand to introduce Ayala. She smiled at her before indicating to her own Animal, a Barn Owl, who was perched on the back of a chair and watching them closely.

"My Animal is Soren. He prefers watching people before introducing himself," she explained. Ed didn't blame Soren. If he could, he'd avoid people too. "Colonel Mustang has been held back in a meeting and sends his apologies. You're welcome to wait out here with us until he returns. Havoc, you can get back to work now." Havoc didn't argue and headed straight for his desk.

Hawkeye lead Ed over to the seat next to Fuery, who offered him a warm smile before turning back to face the radio he was trying to get working. Ed wished he'd brought his books with him. He entertained himself by watching the way the humans and Animals interacted in a working environment. For the most part, the Animals seemed to entertain themselves. They played with each other or slept. Kara was happy helping her human, from the looks of it. She passed him tools or parts that he needed when he needed them. Ed watched them for a while before growing bored with that. Hawkeye seemed to notice his boredom. He noticed her slipping through a door that he assumed led to Mustang's office and then went back to watching everyone else. She came back out with three books and placed them in front of Ed.

"I'm not sure how long he'll be so I thought you might be getting a little bored. I hope one of these sounds interesting," she explained. Ed looked at them curiously. He'd never read any of them.

"Thanks, Miss Hawkeye," he said, smiling at her.

"Call me Hawkeye or Riza," she said as she headed back for her desk.

Ed grabbed the book on the top of the small pile and opened it up. Ayala sat up and rested her head on the chair arm so she could get a better look at the pages. Ed adjusted his hold so she could read alongside him. Ayala had discovered her enjoyment in reading when she and the brothers had returned back to Resembool and though Chester wasn't as big a fan, he'd read alongside Al. Ed was glad Ayala enjoyed reading alchemy books because it meant he could bounce ideas off her and debate theory, just like he would with his brother. He'd gotten a few pages into the book when he heard someone call his name. Looking up, he saw Falman looking at him curiously.

"What's up?" He asked, a little unimpressed at having his reading interrupted.

"Forgive me for asking but is Ayala reading that book too?" Falman's question had the others looking at him. Apparently, they'd all noticed but Falman was the first to ask. Hawkeye was still doing her work.

"Yeah. Why?" Ed and Ayala were a bit confused as to why that was surprising. Ever since they'd discovered their secret ability, Ed had been teaching Ayala everything he knew about alchemy.

"It's just that none of us have seen an Animal who enjoyed reading so much, especially an alchemy book," Falman said. Ed suddenly understood. He was so used to it that he'd forgotten that it was unusual to others.

"Oh. Well, she likes learning about alchemy and I explain the things she doesn't understand right away." Ed shrugged. He and Ayala didn't see it as a big deal. Everyone's curiousity now satisfied, they returned to their work while Ed returned to his book.

* * *

After twenty or so minutes, Ayala alerted him to Mustang's approach. He gave her a scratch between the ears as thanks and continued to read. When Mustang and Nala entered the room, everyone bar Edward leapt to their feet and gave a salute. Mustang's eyes were drawn straight to the new feature in his office.

"Glad to see you arrived here safely, Edward." Ed snapped his book shut and got to his feet.

"Yup, Lieutenant Havoc found me easy enough." Nala padded over, as if to inspect the new arrivals. Ed could sense her amusement faintly through their connection.

"That would be Nala. How 'bout we take this conversation into my office?" Mustang suggested, a little uneasy by how comfortable Ed and his wolf were while his lioness was circling them. That usually put people on edge.

"Hello, Nala." Ed grinned at the lioness in front of him. He looked back up at Mustang. "Sounds like a good idea. Lead the way." Hawkeye hopped up from her desk and held the door open for them to pass through and followed them through. Evidently, she'd be joining them for this conversation. Ed didn't mind. She already knew everything. Mustang sat at his desk and Hawkeye slightly behind him on his right.

"Take a seat, Edward." Mustang gestured to the couches he had in his office. Ed didn't need telling twice. He sat on one couch and Ayala sat at his feet, watching Mustang. Nala jumped up on the other couch and made herself comfortable. "Before I ask Hawkeye to arrange travel plans to Central, I think you and I should talk. I have some conditions and I'm sure you have some terms, " Mustang stated plainly.

"You'd be right," Ed answered. Mustang waited a moment but the kid clearly wasn't going to be forthcoming with them.

"Would you care to name them?" Damned brat.

"Assuming I pass the exam and am enlisted, these are my terms," Edward said, sitting up straighter. "Alphonse and Chester will be allowed with me on my missions. The only reason they can't accompany me is if I say so. It's easier to protect him from nosy military soldiers if he's close by. I'll do whatever missions you assign me but if I get a lead on the Philosopher's Stone, I'll investigate it. Al and Chester get access to the libraries as well. Finally, you and anyone you told about us will keep their mouths shut about Al's condition and what we did." Ed's terms weren't unrealistic. Mustang didn't bother pointing out that the military couldn't stop Al from accompanying his brother. He also wasn't surprised that they'd decided to go after the Stone.

"Done. As I said, I have a couple conditions. You'll be reporting directly to me as I'm the military official who recommended you. You will do every mission you're assigned with no arguments. You can hunt down any leads you get regarding the Stone but your missions will be completed first. You'll report to me after every mission and after every lead. Is that clear?" Ed mulled it over. Most of them sounded like things he'd expect to do but he knew there must be a hidden catch somewhere. He'd deal with it when it showed itself.

"Sounds fair." Well, that went easier than Mustang and Ed thought it would. Mustang nodded at Hawkeye and she left the room.

"While Hawkeye is making arrangements for us to travel, I figured I'd explain the exam in more detail." It was that or sit in silence. Ed agreed. "As I mentioned over the phone, the exam is in three parts; a written, a physical and a practical. The written part is pretty self-explanatory. It's basically an exam but with no time limit. All you've got to do is answer all the questions correctly," Mustang told him. "The second part is the physical. You'll be tested on any combat skills you have as well as a general health check. Your automail will not affect your physical negatively," he said, figuring the blonde might worry about that. "The last part is the practical. You'll choose one array to use to transmute something that shows the examiners as well as a select few higher-ups that you would be an asset to the military. As a highly regarded alchemist and your sponsor, I'll be one of the one assessing you. Any questions?"

"Yeah, what about Ayala?" Ed hadn't heard him mention anything about the Animals not being allowed in there but it was always safest to just ask. "Will she be allowed in with me?"

"Yes," Mustang said. "She'd be allowed in with you throughout the exam except for when you get your health check. Obviously, the doctors prefer Animals to wait outside the sterile rooms." Ed remembered Granny turning down Ayala's request to be in the room while she changed Ed's bandages. Granny always made her leave to minimise the risk of infection.

"Fair enough." Ayala wasn't impressed but she didn't argue either. She knew it'd be pointless. "How long does the exam normally take?" Mustang thought for a moment.

"On average, people complete it in two days. The written part is the toughest one. Most people fail it. The applicants, once they know if they've passed the written, then choose whether to take the physical and the practical on the same day or separate. Most people choose to do them on the same day though," he explained.

"How long did it take you?" Ed was curious. Mustang was supposed to be one of the top State Alchemists in the program.

"I completed the written part in just over five hours and I took the next two tests on the same day." Mustang was a little bit proud of his time. Very few had completed the written part earlier than him. Hawkeye walked back into the room.

"I've arranged for you two to take the 6:00pm train from here tonight. You should arrive in Central by midnight. I've also booked two rooms at a hotel nearby," she told them before nodding to Mustang. "You've stayed in it before, Sir. The Royal Amestris Hotel." Mustang nodded as he took possessions of the train tickets. "Since you're leaving soon, I suggest you finish your paperwork. If you're finished talking with Edward, I'll take him back to our office so he can read while he waits." Her glare told him arguments would not be wise.

"Very well, Hawkeye. Edward and I will be leaving for the station at 5:15." Edward took that as a dismissal and followed Hawkeye out the door.

"Miss Riza? How much do I owe for the room and the ticket?" He asked before they made it to the desk.

"Nothing, Edward. The military covers the cost for travel and lodgings for potential State Alchemists. You just need to pay for your own food." She smiled at him. Ed smiled back and he and Ayala headed for their seat to resume their reading. Fuery was still trying to fix the radio in front of him. Ed tapped his shoulder.

"Do you want me to give it a go?" He asked him.

"If you could. Maybe a second pair of eyes would help. I've been trying all day," he said, sounding relieved and shoved the radio closer to Ed. Grabbing the pencil nearest him, Ed sketched out an array on a piece of paper. Placing it on top of the radio, he activated it. Moments later, the radio was fixed and Kain was hugging him. "Thanks, Ed!" He exclaimed as he gleefully pulled the now working radio back towards himself. Ed got over the shock of being hugged and went back to his book.

 _"Why did you draw the array? We both know you don't need to,"_ Ayala asked curiously.

"Didn't want to show off just yet," he told her and she let it be. Humans did odd things and sometimes you just gotta roll with it.

* * *

After an hour had passed, Mustang and Nala emerged from his office carrying a stack of paper. Dropping it unceremoniously in front of Hawkeye, he motioned for Havoc to get up. "Lieutenant Havoc will be driving us to the train station. I'll be back in a few days," Mustang announced as Ayala and Ed stood up, Ed leaving the books behind, and followed Havoc and Mustang out the door after waving goodbye to everyone.

Ayala didn't bother with the smells since they seemed to be in a hurry to get to the car. They stopped by a random townhouse which was soon to be revealed as Mustang's. Five minutes later, they headed to the train station, Mustang's suitcase having joined Ed's in the boot. They made it to the station with 20 minutes until the train left. Havoc walked them to the carriage and saluted Mustang before wishing Ed good luck. Ed thanked him and followed Mustang and Nala on-board as Ayala followed him. Mustang led them straight to a private cabin and waved Ed inside. Ed did as he was told and sat on the seat that wasn't currently occupied by a lioness. Ayala clambered up next to him.

* * *

Eventually they felt the train pull away from the station. Ed spent a few minutes watching East City fly past. Once the city scenery turned into country, Ed grabbed a book out of his suitcase. Mustang did the same except his book was some paperwork that his _wonderful_ 1st lieutenant had so _thoughtfully_ had packed in his briefcase. After 15 minutes (a record for him) Mustang grew bored with the paperwork and focused on the two in front of him. Edward was using his wolf as a pillow but she didn't seem to mind since she was too busy reading the alchemy book Ed held. Well, he might as well try entertaining himself by making conversation.

"Say, Edward?" The blonde turned his head so he could glare at him for interrupting his reading. Unperturbed, Mustang continued. "When did Ayala show up for you?" Closing his book, Ed sat up carefully so as to avoid the blood rushing back to his head. Ayala shifted so her head rested on Ed's lap.

"She turned up just before my 10th birthday, so nearly three years now." Mustangs eyes widened slightly. Kids getting Animals before their teen years wasn't unheard of. Kids getting Animals before they were even ten was exceedingly rare.

"Wow. I don't think I've met anyone who got their Animal before they turned 10." Ed wasn't surprised since he knew how rare it was. "So what happened to her?" Mustang asked.

"What do you mean?" Ed narrowed his eyes. Ayala was perfectly fine.

"I mean, what happened to her colouring? She's an Arctic Wolf, right?" Ed nodded. "They don't typically have golden eyes or gold-tinged fur," he pointed out. Ed was mildly surprised and mildly impressed. Mustang was the first person to have picked up on that or at least the first one to point it out.

"We don't actually know. When she first appeared, she was completely white and had brown eyes. When I initiated the bond though we were suddenly surrounded by this sort of silver glow. After that, her eyes were the same shade as mine and her fur had been tinged at the ends. When she completed the bond a couple hours later, I asked her what that was about. She didn't know and neither did Teacher when I asked her," Ed explained. He wasn't completely lying. Ayala and he didn't know _for sure_ what the unique aspects to their bond meant. "How old were you?" Ed asked, nodding at Nala.

"I had just turned 12 a month before she turned up," Mustang replied, giving Nala a scratch. Not wanting to return to paperwork, he continued asking the kid questions. "You mentioned a teacher?"

"Yeah. Izumi Curtis." Mustang saw the respect and terror written on Ed's face. "She was travelling through Resembool at the same time we had a massive storm pass through. It was so big the river couldn't handle the extra water and threatened to overflow and flood the town. Teacher went up to it and built a massive dirt wall to block the water. Al and I begged her to take us on as her students. She only took us on when she found out we had no parents. She was a fantastic teacher. She is an alchemic genius and she is an expert hand-to-hand combat fighter. She taught us everything we know about fighting and how to survive off the land. Woman was completely terrifying and will skin me alive when she finds out I decided to join the military, whether I'm successful or not." Ed sounded rather fond of her considering how scary he made her out to be. "Hey, do you have a specialty?" Ed asked suddenly.

"Yup. I'm the Flame Alchemist. My specialty is the creation and manipulation of flames," Mustang told him.

"Huh. Never realised that could be a specialty. There's no books on it," Edward was mildly surprised.

"There wouldn't be. My teacher destroyed all copies of his work. I'm the only one who knows its secrets," Mustang revealed. "What about you?"

"I don't really have a specialty," Ed said after a moment. Mustang's brow quirked.

"Really?" He asked a little disbelievingly. Ed looked at him.

"Yeah. I've never focused on one specific alchemy. I learned as much as I could about every different type of alchemy I could find." He hadn't seen the logic behind focusing on one subject when there were dozens. He wanted to know them all so he studied them all and it helped that Teacher had thought the same way.

"So what are you going to do for your practical?" Mustang was slightly curious. He'd never met an alchemist who didn't specialise in one thing. Ed shrugged.

"Dunno. Guess I'll figure it when I need to." He eyed the paperwork Mustang wasn't working on. "You better finish your paperwork. Miss Riza implied something bad would happen if you didn't," Ed told him, effectively ending the conversation. Mustang baulked. Of course she'd get the kid to remind him to do the paperwork since she wasn't there to threaten him herself. Evil woman. Reluctantly he pulled the paperwork back to himself and continued going through it while Ed relaxed with his book. After a few minutes of peace and quiet, Ed glanced at Mustang to make sure he was completely occupied. Judging by the muttering and muffled swearing, he was. Ed shut his eyes and grasped for the thread between him and Chester. Locking on, he sent him a message.

"Hey, I'm on a train to Central now. I think Mustang plans on me taking the exam tomorrow, depending on what time we arrive. How's everything going? Anything exciting happen?" He felt Chester startle at the sudden message. After a few moments, presumably to pass his message on, Chester answered.

 _"Al wants to make sure you haven't killed or maimed Mustang yet. Nothing major happened here. The butcher accidentally cut some fingers off today but Granny managed to reattach them. That was pretty cool. How'd the meeting go?"_ Ed rolled his eyes. The amount of times the butcher had come in with cuts or missing digits was ridiculous.

"No, I haven't hurt Mustang," Ed said. "The meeting went well. We agreed to each other's conditions so once I'm enlisted, you and Al will be joining me on my missions. The butcher should consider another line of work, honestly," he replied, still looking at the book but not actually reading it.

 _"Al says that's good. He says he knew you and he could get along if you got over your grudge. You and I both know that he won't though. He likes cutting dead things up,"_ Chester passed along.

"I didn't say we were getting along, just that I hadn't put my automail fist through his face yet," Ed corrected with a smirk. "But we did have a conversation about Ayala and alchemy specialties. I suppose he's not a complete moron. He knows fire alchemy and he picked up on the fact that Ayala wasn't the colour she was supposed to be." Chester could hear the impressed tone of Ed's thoughts.

Whether Ed was willing to admit it or not, he was starting to like the man. Al was certainly intrigued by the fire alchemy. Ed and Al chatted through Chester for few more minutes but when Ed started having to force himself to stay awake, Al decided to end the conversation for the night. Ed reluctantly agreed and with a promise to send a message once he knew what was going on, Ed terminated the connection. After re-reading the same sentence nearly a dozen times without remembering what it said, Ed called it quits. Using Ayala as a convenient pillow, he watched Mustang work for a few seconds before his eyelids finally shut and he fell asleep.

* * *

As she had dozed most of the time on the train to East City, Ayala wasn't asleep. She felt her human use her as a pillow and felt the exact moment he'd fallen asleep, thanks to their bond. Resting her head on her front paws, she entertained herself by watching Mustang and Nala. The lioness hadn't spoken to Ed once since they turned up. Ayala has assumed that was because she didn't want to accidentally expose Ed's ability. Mustang was still doing his paperwork but his pile was getting noticeably smaller and his mood was lifting.

* * *

Once finished, he became aware of the eyes staring at him and looked up to see Ayala watching him. He thought Hawkeye or Nala watching him was unnerving. There was something down right hair-raising about a wolf's stare, even a casual one. He placed all his finished paperwork back in his suitcase and straightened to find Ayala still watching him. Mustang finally noticed Ed was sleeping, not just lying on his back reading. The kid looked peaceful. Roy finally grew impatient with Ayala's staring.

"What?" He snapped. He said it loud enough to cause Ed to move in his sleep. Ayala snarled at him and Roy took it as a warning to keep his voice down. Ayala watched Ed for a few moments and was apparently satisfied he wasn't going to wake up since she turned her golden gaze back on Roy for a moment before her eyes flitted to Nala.

 _"She says she was just observing you, trying to get a judge on your character when you're too focused on something to keep your walls up and while Ed's emotions weren't background noise,"_ Nala informed him after a few seconds. Roy was semi-surprised the wolf had actually told the truth.

"And what's her opinion on my character?" Roy really only had Nala and his teams opinions on his character. Most people were too scared of him these days to say anything bad to his face so he was genuinely curious. Nala answered to after a few more moments of silence conversation.

 _"So far, she sees no reason to worry. Though she has asked me to let you know that if she gets any inkling that you'll hurt Ed or purposefully put him in danger, she'll rip your throat out."_ Nala sounded impressed at her gall to threaten him. Roy was not impressed with Nala's lack of concern even though he knew the threat was only fair. As Edward's Animal and because Mustang knew about their secret, the threat was practically required. Still. Nala could be more angered at her audacity than impressed with it.

"Well, I have no intention of doing either," Roy informed Ayala, surprising himself. He knew he'd spoken the truth but he was surprised he'd admitted it. Even Nala looked surprised, though she hid it well.

 _"She says she believes you but she's still gonna keep an eye on you."_ Nala broke him out of his slight shock. Roy just nodded. It was expected. Humans might trust someone easy enough but Animals are generally harder to win over.

Roy went back to watching Edward sleep, even after Ayala curled up so his face was blocked from view. He hadn't thought before he offered Ed the chance to become a State Alchemist, only thinking how having a kid that powerful under his command would bring him closer to his goals and help him climb the military ladder. If he were being honest, he'd expected the elder Rockbell to have talked him away from that path but he'd received that call barely a year later.

He still didn't regret his offer but he did have a fleeting moment of self-disgust when he'd hung up. He was encouraging a _12-year-old_ boy to join the State Alchemists. That feeling had persisted until he saw Ed curled up the chair next to Kain with his book and wolf. It disappeared entirely when Ed had laid out his terms. The boy had obviously thought it through. After another couple hours had passed, the conductor finally announced they were about to pull into Central Station. Roy hopped up and stretched before stepping over and shaking Edward's shoulder to wake him. Ayala woke first and a second later, Edward did too.

* * *

Ed woke to someone gently shaking his shoulder and calling his name. Figuring it was Al, he went to go back to sleep before realising the voice was all wrong. Inhaling sharply, he snapped his eyes open and was momentarily disorientated by his surroundings.

"Easy, kid." Mustang's hand was still on his shoulder and Ed sat up fully, rubbing his eyes with his flesh hand before looking at Mustang properly. "We're just about to pull into Central," he said as an explanation. Ed nodded sleepily and Mustang moved back to his side of the cabin. Ed dragged his suitcase up and put his book safely inside before doing it up. Ayala nudged his face and Ed cracked a smile.

"I'm good, just tired," he reassured her. Trains were not very comfortable. He missed Mustangs look of sympathy.

The train finally slowed and stopped, indicating their arrival. They vacated the cabin and were soon outside the carriage, shivering slightly at the change in temperature. Mustang looked around for a moment before indicating for Ed to follow. He was too tired to care. He just wanted to sleep. Ayala was slightly peppier from her naps throughout the day. Ed resented her slightly but she didn't take it personally.

"ROY!" Ed startled at the sudden shout. A bespectacled man, slightly taller than Mustang, had his hand raised in greeting and was standing just in front of the. Ed glared at him. He sounded way too enthusiastic and awake for this time of night. Mustang looked as enthused as Ed.

"Hughes, who told you I was coming? I need to know who to charbroil." Mustang had his money on Havoc. They finally stopped in front of Hughes. Ed now saw his Animal. Grey Fox, he recognised it from an encyclopedia of Animals he'd read. No wonder he didn't notice it straight away. The fox blended in just enough to be overlooked at first glance.

"Is that any way to greet your best friend?" He chided. Mustang glared. Hughes didn't seem to notice. "No one told me. There was a rumour in Central that someone had booked you on a train for today. I checked the manifests!" Ed admired his dedication. He still hated the enthusiasm right now. Hughes finally noticed him standing there. A look of surprise flitted across his face before recognition. Ed was naturally confused. After all, how could someone from Central recognise him?

"This the boy you told me about?" Ed saw something else flash across his face but was too tired to figure it out. He just wanted to sleep. Even Ayala was getting irritated.

"Maes Hughes, Edward Elric. Ed, this is my unbelievably nosy best friend, Maes." Hughes held his hand out and Ed shook it.

"Nice to meet you, Ed. This here is my Animal, Leo." He still sounded way too awake.

"Pleasure. This is my wolf, Ayala." Ed was going to fall asleep on his feet, he was sure.

"Now that we've all met, Hughes why are you here?" Mustang asked tiredly. He knew Ed was tired and so was he. He just wanted to get them to the motel as soon as possible so they could get as much sleep as possible.

"It would have been rude for me not to be here. Gracia and Elysia were very excited when I told them Uncle Roy would be in town." Ed frowned. Hughes must be married and had a kid. The ring he soon spotted confirmed at least half that theory. Mustang, however, had spotted the warning signs and held a hand up threateningly.

"One photo and I'll burn your whole collection. Ed can meet them in person later and I'm positive they haven't changed that much since the photos you sent me last week." Hughes removed his hand from his breast pocket in disappointed. Much to Ed's delight, they started moving towards the exit. Hughes and Mustang were arguing over the photos but Ed really wasn't paying attention. He just followed blindly, Ayala occasionally nudging him if he needed it. Finally Mustang and Hughes came to a halt in front of a rather fancy looking hotel.

"We'll see you tomorrow." Hughes clapped Mustang on the shoulder before facing Ed. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Edward. You and Roy will have to come over for dinner tomorrow so you can meet my beautiful wife and darling daughter!"

"You too. Sounds like fun." The answer, while said tiredly, seemed to be the right thing to say since Hughes beamed at him before heading off, presumably to his house, his fox trotting behind him. Ed didn't understand the energy that was coming from the man. Mustang put a hand on Ed's shoulder.

"That man is way too excitable," Mustang grumbled. "Come on, let's go check in," he said, pushing Ed ahead of him. The foyer was overly bright and open and Ed was forced to squint as he waited for his eyes to adjust.

Mustang headed straight for the clerk and requested their room keys. Ed looked around, taking in his surroundings. Ayala did the same. Nala just stayed next to Ed. No use following her human when he'd just come right back here. After a couple of minutes, Mustang headed back for Ed, keys in hand. Leading the tired blonde to the elevator, he pressed the button for the fourth floor and they rode the elevator up. A ding jolted Ed back to his senses and he followed everyone out. Finally they reached their rooms. Hawkeye had gotten them rooms next to each other, it appeared.

"Here you go." Mustang handed Ed a key. "Get some sleep. I think 9 is a good time to head to Central command. Do you need me to get someone to wake you?" Ed took the key and shook his head.

"Have Nala send Ayala a message to see if I'm awake by 8. Ayala will get me up," Ed told him, unlocking his door. Ayala went straight into the room to investigate it.

"No worries. Good night." Mustang and Nala moved down to their door.

"Night," Ed called as he disappeared into his room.

He kicked his boots off, uncaring of where they landed, dropped his suitcase and slipped out of everything except his boxers and tank top. Hair unbraided, he pulled the covers aside and sank gratefully into his temporary bed. Ayala had finished her inspection of the room and joined him on the bed. Bidding each other a good night, they were both asleep within moments.

* * *

Mustang and Nala went about things a bit more civilly. Mustang placed his boots against the wall, he changed into some pyjamas, brushed his teeth and then joined Nala, who'd already made herself comfortable on the bed. Climbing under the covers, he switched the light off and soon fell asleep.

Six hours later, he woke like he normally did. He lay in bed until his bladder demanded he pay attention to it. Only then did he arise and go about his morning routine. He debated ordering breakfast but decided he and Ed could just grab something at a cafe on the way in. At 7:30, he decided Ed needed to be up if they wanted to get food so he had Nala send Ayala a wakeup call. Second later he got a reply saying Ed was awake and getting ready. Satisfied, he made himself a coffee from the small stock the hotel supplied and waited.

* * *

Ed was woken by Nala, who'd decided to take advantage of Ed's ability. Feeling more human than he had the night before, Ed started on his daily routine. Showered, hair braided and dressed in clean clothing, Ed and Ayala were ready to face the day. After coffee. Ed hoped Mustang didn't mind a stop somewhere for breakfast. He was starving and caffeine was definitely needed. Doing his boots up, he sent Nala a message saying he was ready. Grabbing his room key, he and Ayala locked up behind them and were greeted by Mustang and Nala in the hallway.

"Morning. How'd you sleep?" Mustang asked as they headed for the elevator.

"Like a log. I doubt anything short of a bomb coulda woken me," Ed admitted. He was generally a light sleeper, used to waking up to Al when they were younger.

"Me too. We're getting breakfast on the way. I assume that's okay?" Mustang told him once they were in the elevator. Thank fuck. Ed needed his coffee. Ayala rolled her eyes at his dramatics.

"Sounds good," Ed told him. He was gradually revaluating his initial opinion of Mustang. Dude wasn't half bad. He could feel Ayala smirk and mentally told her to shut it which made her smirk more. Evil Animal.

* * *

They walked in silence for the most part. Ed took in the scenery, focusing on their route so he could find his way back to the hotel by himself if necessary. He was in a decent mood. He'd sent his little brother a good morning message and Al hadn't nagged him to be nice. The day was pleasant enough which meant his automail wouldn't act up. They finally reached the café Mustang had in mind for breakfast. The waitress seated them and took their drink orders while they perused the menu. Soon they had their coffee and were now waiting for their food. Ed piled sugar into his while Mustang added milk. Ed couldn't hide his shudder of disgust.

"What was that for?" Mustang had noticed.

"Milk is disgusting," Ed stated simply and was thankfully saved from any comment by the appearance of the waitress with their order. Being the only customers had its perks. Their food came quickly. She left and returned with the Animals food before leaving them be.

Ed and Mustang dug into their food, Ed with gusto. Mustang was shocked, to say the least, by the amount of food Ed had ordered. Ed felt completely human by the end of the meal. He and Mustang both ordered another coffee each to go and settled their bill while they waited. Coffees in hands, Mustang once again led the way to Central command. Mustang was insanely curious about how Ed was able to eat more food than his entire team put together but was doing his best to keep it reined in. He obviously didn't do a good enough job.

"I can feel your curiousity. Just ask before you burst." Ed was amused. He admired his restraint though.

"How did you manage to eat that much food?" Mustang felt better. Ed laughed at him.

"My automail." He elaborated when Mustang didn't show any sign of understanding. "I use a lot of energy carrying them around. Need to eat a lot to replace it." He shrugged. Despite knowing that, it didn't stop Winry from teasing him. Wrench wielding witch.

"Huh. Never knew that." Granted, Mustang didn't know many people with automail and had eaten a meal with even less. "We're here," Mustang suddenly announced. Ayala and Ed stared at Central command. It was even bigger and more militarised than Eastern Command. Mustang flashed his pocket watch at the guard, who waved them all through without a word. Ed was trying to take in all of his surroundings a quickly as possible. Ayala's nose was working overtime. Suddenly, Ayala caught a whiff of something she didn't like at all.

"What's wrong?" Ed could sense her confusion and disgust. She sniffed a few more times but she couldn't place the smell. It was everywhere.

 _"I don't know. There's a scent here. It's dangerous and wrong."_ There was no better way to describe it. The lack of specifics made Ed frowned. This scent was unnerving Ayala and he didn't like it.

"Is something wrong?" Mustang and Nala were confused. Of course, they couldn't hear Ayala's response to Ed so that didn't help.

"I don't know. Ayala says she smells something dangerous. Has Nala ever said that?" Nala's sense of smell should be just as good as Ayala's. Mustang shook his head.

"She's never mentioned anything before." He looked at Nala and she shook her head. She couldn't smell anything like that. "Can Ayala pinpoint it?" Ed shook his head.

"She says it's everywhere. Almost like whoever or whatever it is has spent a lot of time here," Ed told him. Mustang looked a little disturbed.

 _"I'm okay. Let's just this over with,"_ Ayala told Ed. Hopefully she'll soon stop noticing it soon. Until then, she'd simply put up with it. Ed placed a comforting hand on her head and she leaned into it.

"She says she's fine. She wants to get this done so we don't have to be here too long," Ed told them. Mustang nodded and led the way to the exam rooms.

"Once the exam overseer has arrived, you'll be expected to sit until you've finished the exam, or as much of it as you can. Like I said, Ayala can go in with you if she wants. I'll be waiting out here for you to finish. You'll be told the results of your exam before you're allowed to get your physical. Someone will find us to do that." He stopped outside a door. "You ready?" He asked, turning to face the boy. There was zero sign of hesitation, mind-changing or regret on his face. Just a look of pure determination. He nodded. "Okay, I'll come in to introduce you to the proctor. Once everything's organised, I'll be out here." Mustang opened the door and Ed stepped through.

It was a pretty boring room. There were nine desks, each desk able to seat three people and one desk at the head of the room that had one person sitting in it. When they entered, the person looked up and Ed could see it was a woman. A woman who apparently recognised Mustang as she stood and saluted with unbelievable speed. Mustang released her from her salute with a wave. She headed over to them and looked Ed over.

"So this is the child prodigy everyone's been talking about?" She was a pretty woman. She had dark skin and dark eyes. Her black hair was sleeked into a high ponytail and her outfit, which was not a military uniform, was perfectly pressed. Her Animal, a ginger cat, wound itself around her legs before sitting and watching them with a bored expression. She extended a manicured hand to Ed. "Camille Tyler."

"Ed Elric," he replied, shaking her hand. "This is Ayala." He indicated to her.

"This is Cameron." She motioned to the ginger cat. "Has Colonel Mustang explained to you how this works?" Ed nodded. "Good. Once you're done, I'll look your answers over. You'll have the results within an hour of you finishing, assuming you'll be within Central command?" She turned to Mustang for the answer.

"That's the plan. We will more than likely be in Investigations," Mustang said with something that sounded kinda like dread. Camille nodded; amusement splayed across her face. Ed was obviously missing something. Mustang sighed and turned to face Ed. "Good luck, kid."

 _"Good luck, Ed,"_ Nala echoed. Ed thanked them both and watched them leave. Once the door shut, Camille turned her attention to Edward.

"Righto, Edward. Pick a seat and we'll go through the rules." Ed did as he was told. She went to her desk and grabbed some paper and pencils from it before returning to him. Ayala decided she'd be up on the chair next to him. Camille didn't say anything. "This is your exam. There are fifty questions. Answer everything you can. There is no time limit. There are no bathroom breaks or snack breaks. Once done, let me know so I can collect the paper and you'll be free to go. Any questions?" Ed shook his head and looked at the paper in front of him. "Good. You may begin whenever you're ready." With that, she turned on her heel and headed back for her desk. Ed grabbed his pencil and began, Ayala watching him intently. He just hoped bad handwriting wouldn't count against him. The sound of him scribbling soon filled the room.

* * *

After two hours had passed, Mustang was beginning to question his sanity behind promising Ed that he'd wait outside for him. Since there was no time limit, he had no idea when the blonde would actually be finished. No one had actually finished this exam in less than four hours. The questions were designed to weed out anyone who just wasn't smart enough. It didn't stop people from taking the exam over and over again though. Idiots.

Nala was occupying most of the wooden bench that sat conveniently outside the room. She was gracious enough to leave just enough room for Mustang to sit. He was considering going to get a coffee when the door opened up and Ed and Ayala came out. Mustang went to hop up and ask what was wrong since it had barely been two hours since he left them in there but he stopped when he realised Ayala must've been talking. After a few moments, he was proven right when Ed nodded to Ayala.

"Yeah, okay. But don't go too far. We might get the results earlier than expected," Ed said to her and he watched as she loped off towards the entrance. He turned towards them and saw the question Mustang hadn't asked. "She wanted to explore." Understanding filled Mustang and Nala.

"I see. How'd you go?" He asked, inclining his head towards the door.

"Good. I answered everything. Miss Camille looked skeptical when I told her. Kinda how you look now," Ed said. Mustang schooled his features but knew it did no good.

"You answered all of the questions?" Ed was a genius. He expected Ed to pass this exam easily. He just didn't expect him to complete the exam this quickly. That was a little shocking.

"Yep. Miss Camille had to look through my paper to see I was telling the truth." The corner of his lips quirked upwards a little. Mustang didn't blame Camille for her suspicion. To his recollection, the quickest anyone had finished this exam had been 4 hours 22 minutes after starting. He himself had finished the exam after 5 hours and a minute. Ed suddenly let out a small hiss of pain as he grabbed his left wrist reflexively. His sudden action caused Mustang and Nala to both look at him with worry.

"What'd you do?" Edward asked, worry tinting his voice. Naturally, the other two couldn't hear what Ayala was saying. Ed's face turned from worried to exasperated. "How'd you manage that?" Mustang felt the stab of worry melt at Ed's expression. Ed sighed. "Okay, I'll be there in a minute. Don't try and get it out yourself." Ed's eye focused back on Mustang. "Ayala staked her paw. I'm gonna get it out." Ed started heading in the same direction Ayala had disappeared in.

After a small moment's hesitation, Mustang and Nala followed. Ed noticed but didn't comment. He presumed he wasn't allowed anywhere without a military escort. Thanks to their bond, Ed didn't need to ask Ayala where she was; he already knew. They rounded a corner and saw her sitting under a tree, looking slightly miserable. Ed changed course and cut across the grassy area to get to her quicker. She perked up when she saw him.

"You are an idiot," he greeted her as he crouched down in front of her, holding his hand out. He chuckled at her response and grasped the paw she placed in his hand carefully. He turned it over gently and saw the piece of wood sticking out about three centimetres out of her paw pad. "This will hurt," he warned as he used his right hand to hold her paw steady and grabbed the small stick with the other and pulled it out in one swift movement. He and Ayala flinched at the small flash of pain but it passed after a few moments. He inspected the wound closely. "It went in pretty deep. I'll have to heal it." Ayala must've been trying to argue, judging from the look Ed shot her. Placing his left hand over the paw, he shut his eyes and a flash of green light shone through his fingers for a moment before vanishing. Removing his hand, he inspected his work and deemed it satisfactory. "All done. I thought wolves were supposed to be wary of their surroundings?" He teased. She responded by bumping him so he sprawled on the ground. She seemed ticked that his only response was to laugh before sitting back up. He picked himself up and dusted himself off before turning and saw Mustang and Nala standing a few feet away. He'd kinda forgotten they'd followed him.

"Is she okay?" Mustang asked. He hadn't been close enough to hear Ed but he did see the green energy meaning Ed had used Ayala's energy to heal her. Most people only used the energy to heal severe wounds.

"She'll live." Ed shrugged as he stood in front of Nala. Ayala rolled her eyes. "She'll be fine. She just needs to watch out for sticks in the future." Ayala did not look impressed with his little jab.

"Good. Now let's go to Investigations. I did tell Camille that's where we'd be." Mustang looked like he almost wished he hadn't but they headed in the direction the Investigations department were located.

* * *

Ed and Ayala kept an eye on where they were going. Seemed both of them had Teacher's lesson about always knowing where you are in case you needed to escape permanently etched into their brain. Mustang was too busy trying to get his patience level high enough so he didn't set anything on fire before they could escape. Nala was too busy with her amusement at Roy. They reached the door and Mustang took a deep breath before knocking and, once granted entrance, lead the two Animals and Ed through the door before entering himself. Ed shot him a confused look before a newly familiar voice shouted Roy's name from across the room.

"ROY! What brings you here?" Maes Hughes asked as he crossed the room to stand in front of them both. His Animal barely raised his head from the chair he was on before going back to sleep. "And you brought Ed and Ayala too?" His tone had gone from enthusiastic to curious. Ed frowned. Wait, had Mustang actually not told his best friend about who he was and what he'd done? Mustang cleared his throat.

"Yes. Edward here is taking the State Alchemist exam." For a few seconds, Hughes didn't react. Then suddenly...

"What do you mean he's taking the exam? He's a kid!" Ed frowned, this time in anger. He really wished people would stop calling him a kid. He hadn't been a child since that night. Hughes was still going. "If you're here with him it means you're the one sponsoring him! How could you encourage a kid to join the State Alchemist program! You know full well what sort of shit the military can force an alchemist through." Mustang held a hand up to stop his ranting. Hughes obliged. Barely.

"Do you remember the trip I took to Resembool last year? The one the rumours suggested Hohenheim's return?" Ed gritted his teeth at that name but didn't say anything. Hughes nodded. "Turns out Hohenheim had two sons. I met them after Ed's accident." Ed was surprised Hughes didn't know about what he'd done, being Mustang's best friend and all. "I saw evidence of some high-level transmutations in their house and offered Ed a chance at becoming a State Alchemist. He has a goal he wants to achieve." Hughes looked at Ed with an expression he couldn't quite dissect.

"That doesn't change the fact that he's a kid!" Hughes said this like Mustang still hadn't noticed. Ed answered before Roy could.

"It was my decision. He didn't push me into doing this. I have a promise to keep and this is the best way for me to do that." His eyes never broke contact with Hughes's. There was a pregnant silence before Hughes visibly backed down.

"I still don't like it," he told them.

"You don't have too," Ed replied back. Hughes seemed like a decent enough bloke but Ed didn't have time to defend his decision to everyone. He hoped people would be as easy to convince as Maes. An automail fist would also work wonders if they weren't. Maes sighed in defeat before changing the subject.

"Are you two coming for dinner tonight?" He continued when they hesitated. "You have to! I already told Elysia her Uncle Roy was in town and she really wants to meet Ed and Ayala!" He begged shamelessly. Ed hid a smirk. Uncle Roy? "And Gracia has already planned on making you two the best lasagne you'll ever have!" He added on, as if that would seal the deal. It did for Ed. Any promise of free, home cooked food would win him and Ayala over any day of the week.

"I don't know about him but I'm down for free food." Maes grin woulda beat a kid's on Christmas. Ayala nodded her head in full agreement. Pinako made a good lasagne and this bloke was saying this one would be better. Mustang sighed. He wouldn't abandon Ed to Hughes. He'd actually subject very few people to that horror. He knew when to admit defeat.

"Fine," Mustang conceded. "As long as you swear to keep the pictures to yourself until tonight," he added; a warning finger pointed at the pocket Maes was about to slip a hand into. Hughes pouted but agreed to the terms.

Ed claimed the comfier looking couch before Mustang could. Mustang shot him a dirty look he pointedly ignored. Maes sat behind his desk and pulled some files towards him. Unlike his beloved best friend, Maes didn't detest the paperwork his job came with. They made small talk while Hughes worked. Hughes asked Roy about East City and he asked Ed about Resembool and his family. Ed didn't answer a lot of his questions but Maes didn't take it to heart. Everyone had things they didn't want to talk about and Maes could respect that even if he didn't understand why he'd wanna keep things like his birthday a secret. While they were chatting, a knock sounded on the door and Maes granted them entrance. A soldier entered the room holding a yellow envelope. He saluted both Hughes and Mustang once he reached the chairs Mustang and Ed currently occupied. Maes gave him permission to speak.

"I have Edward Elric's results." Ed sat up a bit straighter as Mustang accepted the envelope. Mustang thanked the soldier, who left after a quick salute.

Uncaring of the look Ed gave him, Mustang opened the envelope up and read the contents first. Ed's eye twitched in annoyance. Mustang finished reading and passed the paper to Maes, who took it with a slightly confused expression. Ed's eye twitch got a little worse. Maes read it and looked slightly surprised when Ed was finally passed the paper. He took it and read it. He grinned and held it for Ayala to read. He'd passed and gotten 100% on it. It was something he was used too but it felt good to get something right after everything that had happened.

 _"Knew you'd pass,"_ Ayala said smugly, though her whole body was shaking with excitement. Ed grinned at her and scratched her ears.

"We'll have to tell Al and Chester. I haven't spoken to them yet. You mind?" He had to ask Ayala. He wasn't going to reveal that talent just yet. Ayala knew that and played along, agreeing by nodding her head. She really did send the message through though. Ed had a question for the two other humans in the room. "Why did you look surprised at my results?"

"It's just I can't recall any alchemist getting 100% on that exam, ever," Mustang told him and Maes nodded his head in agreement. Ed's mouth made the 'oh' movement but no noise actually escaped from him. Mustang continued speaking. "Good job. Now that you've passed, you can move on to the second part today if you'd like. That way all you have left tomorrow is the practical and we can head back to East City tomorrow afternoon and await the results of your status there." Ed opened his mouth to reply but he was distracted by Chester speaking to him directly. He snapped his eyes to Ayala though, to keep them from thinking anything was off.

 _"Al and I are very happy for you! Congrats on passing. Also, Al is not happy that you never contacted us when you arrived in Central or before you headed in this morning,"_ Chester warned. _"He would like to know what your plans are now,"_ Chester told him, amused at the fact his human was getting up his older brother. Ed winced. He'd been so tired last night and then distracted by food and Ayala this morning, he'd completely forgotten.

"Tell Al and Chester thanks and that I plan on taking the second part this afternoon and the third part tomorrow. Tell them I'm sorry I never told them we arrived safely last night. Let them know I'll contact them after the physical." Ayala knew she didn't actually have to pass the message on. Now that Ed and Chester had connected, that connection would remain open and Chester would get any thoughts directed to him. Ed hadn't blocked him from the conversation after all.

 _"Al says you're forgiven. He figured you were too tired last night to have remembered anyway."_ Ed grinned. His brother knew him too well. _"Just remember to keep that promise. Good luck for this afternoon."_ Ed promised and Chester broke the connection. He looked back at Mustang, who was eyeing him a little strangely. Ed felt a small pang of fear. There was no way he could suspect he could talk directly to Animals, right? No, of course.

"What? It's quicker and easier than a phone _and_ I'm guaranteed an answer," Ed snapped. Mustang held up a placating hand up.

"I get it. I take it you're good for the physical this afternoon?" Ed knew there was something else.

"Yup. When do I take it?" Mustang looked at Maes, who seemed to read his mind and pick up the phone to call someone. After a few short sentences, Maes hung up.

"The docs say that he can head down any time after lunch." Oh, he must've called the infirmary. That made sense.

"Okay so we'll have some lunch then head over, okay?" Mustang asked. Ed nodded. Food sounded good right now. Ayala agreed.

"When's lunch?" Ed asked, unabashed. Hey, when food's mentioned, his focus is solely on that.

"Well, how about we go to somewhere off base? I wouldn't trust the mess here with my life," Maes suggested. He'd been forced to live off mess food one lunch. He paled at the memory.

"That sounds like- wait, _we_?" Mustang repeated. Maes grinned.

"Yup. I'm joining you for lunch!" Maes said enthusiastically. Mustang look the complete opposite to enthused. Ed grinned. He liked Maes and the fact that he seemed to get under Mustang's skin was a bonus in Ed's book. Mustang resigned himself to an extra hour in his best friends over-excited company. "I know a great place that does pizza!" That made Ed and Ayala even happier. It was rare that they got honest-to-goodness, greasy pizza. It was one of their favourite foods. Since Maes knew where it was, he led them through the command and to the restaurant.

* * *

While they had lunch – a meatlover's for Ed and Ayala – they talked more about Hughes and Central. Ed discovered Elysia was Maes' only daughter and that she was nearly three. Gracia and Maes had gotten married a couple years after the Ishvalen War and they'd been located in Central for basically they're entire married life. Mustang looked ready to fry anyone who kept bringing Hughes's family up but relented when he realised Ed was a lot more talkative when the subject wasn't him, which meant he revealed a bit more about himself. For example, they found out he and Elysia shared a birth month, that stew was his favourite food and that he preferred the country because he liked being able to see the stars at night.

Maes noticed the time and informed them he needed to head back to work. Mustang and Ed decided now was as good a time as any for Ed's physical so they accompanied Hughes and Leo Central Command before Roy and Ed headed in a different direction with promises to be at Hughes's place by 7:00pm. Mustang seemed rather happy to be getting a break from Maes.

* * *

Ed and Mustang walked in silence. Mustang was imagining the torture that awaited him when this was over. Maes hadn't shown him a single picture all day and while that was simply because Mustang had threatened him, it meant that he'd be in for an onslaught of pictures that night. He wondered if it were possible to encourage Edward to take his time with this physical. He doubted it. He'd seen the kids amused expression throughout lunch. He'd enjoyed Maes' special brand of torture on him. Brat.

"So this physical," said brat started asking and Mustang decided to pay attention. "It's just to test my fighting skills and to make sure I'm healthy, right?"

"Yes. They just need to make sure there's no medical reason you can't become an alchemist. Your automail will be fine, if that's what you're worried about." Mustang looked at him from the corner of his eye. Ed didn't look worried. He didn't even look nervous.

"So the skills part of the test, am I fighting an actual person or what?" He asked. He hoped it'd be a person. It made the fight more interesting. Although, he'd have to hold back his punches if it were a person since he didn't want to hurt anyone. Mustang shook his head.

"No, you won't be fighting anyone. You'll be taken down to the training area and you'll use gym equipment there." Ed nodded. That was good as it probably wouldn't help him if he sent his sparring partner to the hospital. Soon, they found themselves at the infirmary entrance.

"Ayala, you need to stay here, remember? Edward will need to come back out this way to head to the training area so you can join him then," Mustang said as Ayala moved to follow Ed through. She sulked but stayed where she was. Ed paused before he entered the infirmary.

"Don't worry, Aya. I'll be out soon." He smiled before disappearing through the door.

* * *

Ed was nearly blinded by the bright lights and white walls. Yup, it was definitely an infirmary. He shivered. He hated hospitals. He'd spent long enough in one when their mother had collapsed before Granny brought her back home. A nurse noticed him and headed over.

"Good afternoon. Am I correct in assuming you're Edward Elric? Lieutenant Colonel Hughes told us you'd be coming around." She sounded rather cheerful. Her black hair was pulled up neatly in a bun and she had a nice smile. Ed didn't trust her. Nurses gave you needles. He hated needles.

"Yeah. Where do you want me?" Ed shoved his needle-hatred down to the depths of his mind and looked at her for instructions.

"If you'll just sit up on that bed there, that'd be great. Doctor Roberts will be with you as soon as he can." She flashed her smile again before heading away, presumably to get Doctor Roberts. He sat on the bed she'd indicated and waited, swinging his legs back and forth out of boredom. He looked around but there wasn't anything of any real interest in the room. Luckily, Doctor Roberts wasn't too long. The nurse from before wasn't far behind.

"Hello, Edward. I'm Doctor Eric Roberts, I'll be the physician overseeing your physical test. You've already met Nurse Lyla." He indicated to the nurse behind him. Ed felt kinda bad. He hadn't asked her name. He gave her a guilty wave. She just smiled his silent apology off. "All your physical is just answering all questions honestly. I'll also be getting your height, weight and drawing some blood for analysis. The tests won't take long to run, two days at the most. Once they're in, your fate as a State Alchemist will be decided. Sound good?" Ed nodded. Doctor Roberts grabbed a clipboard from Nurse Lyla. "Okay, let's get started. State your full name, date of birth and birthplace."

"Edward Elric, May 3rd, 1899 and Resembool." Doctor Roberts wrote as he talked.

"So you're 13 next year, correct?"

"Yup."

"Any recent health concerns or injuries that may impact your abilities?"

"I've recently been fitted with two automail limbs. Other than that, the last time I was sick was when I was 10 and that was with a cold." Edward told them. Other than a slight eyebrow raise, neither adult lost their professional masks.

"Which limbs and how much of them were replaced with automail?"

"Entire right arm and half my left leg."

"How long ago did this happen and how did it happen?" Ed balked for a moment.

"About 14 months ago and it was a farming accident." Thankfully, the doctor didn't press for details on the 'accident'.

"Any medical conditions that run through your family?"

"Not that I know of." The questions continued and Ed made sure to answer carefully. He didn't want to accidentally let slip anything he didn't want the world to know.

"Okay, that's it for the questions. Let's measure your height and weight now. We'll save the bloods for last. Nurse Lyla will take your measurements while I set the blood kit up." He nodded to Nurse Lyla, who lead Ed through to a set of scales and measuring tape.

Once done, they went back. Doctor Roberts had set up the kit and was waiting for them. Ed sat back on the bed and removed his left arm from his jacket and offered it to Doctor Roberts, who grabbed it hold it steady and lined the needle up with a vein. A slight pinch later and Doctor Roberts had started filling different tubes up with Ed's blood. Ed didn't like needles when he was being injected by something but he wasn't fazed by them when they were used to take blood. He was weird like that. It didn't take long to fill the vials and soon he had a cotton ball and band-aid placed over the small wound to stop any bleeding and was tugging his jacket back on properly.

"Righto. We're all done here. Nurse Lyla will escort you to the training area for your combat skills test. It was nice meeting you, Edward. Good luck." Doctor Roberts smiled at him and Ed returned the sentiment and smile and followed the nurse back out to Ayala and the others. Ayala greeted him happily.

"Hey, Aya. Miss me did ya?" He grinned as Ayala bounded up to him.

 _"Not even slightly."_ She grinned at him, making him laugh.

"Colonel Mustang, Mister Elric, if you'll both please follow me?" Nurse Lyla smiled and gestured down the hallway. Mustang and Ed followed her, Ayala and Nala followed them. Something suddenly hit Ed. He jogged a couple steps to catch up to the nurse.

"Hey, Nurse Lyla? Can I ask you something?" He asked once he'd caught up.

"Of course." She smiled. Ed wondered if she knew how not to smile.

"Where is your Animal? I didn't see it in the infirmary." He had figured that maybe it wasn't allowed in there, like Ayala, but he was surprised it hadn't joined them outside.

"Oh she's in a special room that all the medical personnel leave their Animals in while they're working. No Animal is allowed in the infirmary, not even ours. It helps keep the room sterile and stops people complaining when we ask them to leave their Animals outside," she explained. That made sense.

"What type of Animal is it?" Ed asked curiously.

"Violet is an Indian Ringneck. That's a type of parrot," she added, noting Ed's confusion. Now Ed remembered seeing pictures of it. It was a medium sized bird that came in a variety of colours. Ed wondered what colour hers was. He didn't get the chance to ask though. They arrived at the training area and Ed noted that it wasn't too far from the infirmary which made sense since he guessed people got hurt a lot while using the training area so having it close by would be convenient. "You two can head through now. I've got to get back to the infirmary. Good luck, Edward." With a final smile, she left.

"Ready?" Mustang turned to ask him.

"Yup. You sure I'm not fighting anyone?" He asked.

"Fairly certain. It's rare this test is done as a proper fight," Mustang told him. Ed nodded and opened the door and was greeted with a large room.

It had all sorts of gym equipment and in the middle was a massive area that was obviously meant for sparring. Ed felt slightly nervous. He'd always battled against someone. Teacher, Al, Ayala. It was always against someone who could fight back. He'd never seen any of the equipment in this room, let alone used it. Two soldiers headed towards them. Ed assumed they'd be the ones assessing him. They saluted Mustang. Mustang waved their salutes off.

"I'm 1st Lieutenant James McNally and this is 2nd Lieutenant Karen Nara. We've been asked to assess Edward Elric," The man, Lieutenant McNally, informed them.

"Colonel Mustang. This is Edward Elric and his Animal, Ayala." Mustang made the introductions. Ed was happy with that since he was too busy looking around at all the equipment. Lieutenant Nara noticed.

"You have combat training, yes?" She asked him.

"Yeah, I've just never seen any of this stuff before," he admitted. He may hate admitting when he didn't know something but he wasn't stupid enough to risk Winry's wrath and wrench if he damaged his automail by using something incorrectly. He enjoyed his skull not being cracked open.

"How'd you learn to fight?" She asked curiously.

"I had a teacher. She taught me and my brother all sorts of things but mainly fighting and alchemy," he told her.

"So when you were training...?" She started but Ed knew where she was going with the question.

"I fought against my teacher and my brother. I've even fought against Ayala but never against that stuff." He gestured to all the equipment, looking at her. What was the point of fighting against something that couldn't fight back? It didn't make sense to him. She smiled at him reassuringly.

"Don't worry too much about it. We'll explain what we want you to do and if you have any questions about any of the equipment, you can ask us. You're not the first applicant who's only ever had experience fighting another person." Ed gave an inaudible sigh of relief. If they said that he could ask, he doubted it would count against him.

Feeling a lot better about this, Ed gave Lieutenant Nara a smile. McNally and Mustang seemed to have finished their conversation and soon Ed was getting a tour of the facility and equipment he'd be using. He was never more grateful for his excellent thirst for knowledge nor Ayala's unbelievable memory because he'd have been screwed trying to remember what each machine was supposed to be used for. After all that information had been processed, he was then informed all he'd be using is a punching bag. Ed looked at the heavy bag hanging suspended from a beam dubiously. How in Amestris did they deem that an appropriate tool for applicants to show off their combat skills? He assumed his question was written all over his face because McNally answered it.

"Did your Teacher ever give you solo exercises? Where you'd simply practise your moves instead of fighting?" Ed remembered that the second month they'd stayed with Teacher after escaping that island was spent going through solo drills because she'd been bedridden. So, he nodded in response to the Lieutenant's question. "Good. That's all we're asking you to do here. Except you'd be hitting the bag, not the air. Okay?" Ed nodded. He was still a firm believer in fighting someone who could fight back being the best way to show off your skills but whatever. At least he wouldn't be hurting anything living with his automail.

He made his way to the bag and looked at the Lieutenants and Mustang, waiting for his cue. McNally gave him a nod while Nara gave him an encouraging smile. Mustang kept his barely interested expression on his face. Ed looked at the bag and took a deep breath before starting his assessment. After what felt like no time at all, McNally was calling for him to stop. He wiped the sweat off his brow and faced them. The only one who didn't look shocked was Ayala. Even Mustang couldn't keep his facade up when he saw Ed start his 'fight'. Mustang felt a stab of pity for anyone who dared cross this kids path. He was obviously trained exceptionally well. Mustang knew he'd be hard-pressed beating the kid with just hand-to-hand.

"Well done, kid. I know people who've been training their whole lives who aren't as good as you." Ed grinned at the praise McNally gave. Nala and Ayala had both passed on their own praises already. "I don't even need to consider it. You're clearly an exceptional fighter, especially considering your age. You've passed this part of the test. Doc told us that your physical health was good so all you've gotta wait for is the bloods to come back. You can still do the practical part of this exam without the results though," he soothed Ed's non-existent worries. Ed knew he could do the last part because Mustang had already told him but he just smiled and thanked the Lieutenant.

* * *

Mustang and Ed left soon afterwards, Nara having given Ed a soft clap on the shoulder as she congratulated him and both Lieutenants wished him luck with the final hurdle. Once outside, Ed felt himself relax. He didn't have anything else he needed to worry about until tomorrow now. He followed Mustang, not really caring where they were going. It wasn't until they passed the café they'd eaten at earlier that morning that Ed clocked on to the fact they were heading for the hotel. Something else nagged him, something he'd been ignoring since after the written exam but with nothing to distract him, it was now more pronounced until he couldn't not ask.

"Hey, Mustang?" He asked, catching the black-haired man's attention. A hum from said man was all he needed to hear for him to continue. "How come you never told Maes about what I did? He's your best friend right?" From what he understood, best friends told each other everything. Al was his best friend, excluding Ayala, and his little brother was privy to secrets he'd never told their mum.

"Yes, Maes is my best friend and I normally tell him anything important he hasn't already figured out for himself," Mustang confirmed. "However, I never told him about the details of your 'accident' because it's not my place too. Plus, the less people who know, the less likely you're to be found out. I trust Maes, before you ask, however that information is for you to share with people you trust, not me," he told the blonde honestly. Hawkeye only knew because she'd seen the array and the boys immediately afterwards. Ed looked mildly shocked. Evidently, whatever answer he'd been expecting wasn't the one he'd been given.

"Oh, thanks," Ed said a little awkwardly. He didn't really know what else to say. Even Ayala was at a loss.

"Don't worry about it. I told you that Hawkeye and I wouldn't tell anyone else. Now, we've got about nearly four hours to kill before we need to be at Maes for dinner." It was clearly subject change but Ed didn't mind. "I need to get some more work done so I don't care what you do so long as you stay in the hotel." Mustang had found some more unsigned paperwork in his suitcase. He really wanted to know how Hawkeye even managed to get that in there. Ed nodded his understanding.

* * *

Shortly after that, they all found themselves in the hotel and riding the elevator up to their floor. After telling him to be ready to leave by 6:30, Mustang and Ed parted ways. Ed shut his door behind him before grabbing a book out of his suitcase and flopping back-first on his bed. Ayala joined him and curled up against him so she could read with him. They stayed like that until Ed and her had finished reading the book. Shutting the book, he glanced at the clock and saw he still had an hour and half before he needed to be ready. He wanted to nap except he had promised he'd contact Chester after the exams were over. So he reached for his connection and sent a message.

"Hey Chester. Just letting you know I'm doing good. I've finished the written and physical parts of the exam and I'll be taking the last part tomorrow. How's everything over there?" He didn't bother speaking telepathically. Ayala was the only one who could overhear him. He felt Chester receiving the message. He waited while Chester passed along the message and got Al's reply. It didn't take long.

 _"That's great. Al wants to know how you went on the written exam. He figures you kicked whoever's arse you were fighting."_ Ed let out a laugh at his brothers message.

"Well, I got 100% on that exam, which according to Mustang is supposed to be ridiculously hard and apparently nobody has ever gotten 100% before. Also, let Al know that I didn't fight against a person but that punching bag won't be picking any more fights." Ayala snorted next to Ed. That was her human, Edward Elric, the vanquisher of evil punching bags.

 _"Al said leave it to you to find the single toughest exam easy and to pass it with flying colours. He also said that he feels sorry for the punching bag. Hold on a sec."_ There was a pause as Al was obviously asking Chester something. _"Al wants to know if you've been eating. He says Winry also asked him to remind you that you can't skip any meals."_ Ed rolled his eyes, not that Chester could see. Trust Al to turn into a mother hen while he was gone.

"I've been eating. Tell him not to worry. I'm actually going to someone's place for dinner tonight. Mustangs best friend, Maes Hughes, invited us over. Apparently, his wife makes a mean lasagne," Ed told him. Both Chester and Al knew Ed was a sucker for a home cooked meal.

 _"Al wants to know what Mustang told him,"_ Chester's voice turned serious. All of them, including the Rockbells, knew how important it was that what Ed and Al did was never found out by anyone. Mustang and Hawkeye were the obvious exceptions since Mustang had seen the array and Hawkeye was there when he found it.

"Tell Al it's okay. Mustang never told anyone. Not even Maes," he reassured them both. He felt Chester's sigh of relief.

 _"That's good. At least we know he can keep his mouth shut,"_ Chester said. Ed agreed with him there. So far, Mustang had given him no reason to believe he'd betray their agreement. _"Al and I hope you have fun tonight and I'm apparently obligated to tell you to use your manners and be on your best behaviour tonight."_ Ed could feel Chester's eyeroll and smirked.

"I'm always on my best behaviour. Tell Al not to worry. I'm gonna go get ready. It's nearly time to head off anyways. I'll talk to you after the practical tomorrow." Chester bade his and Al's goodbyes and they disconnected. Ed glanced at the clock. He could nap for half an hour before he absolutely had to be up. After Ayala promised to wake him up, nap is exactly what he did.

* * *

6:30 saw him outside his hotel room door, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and heading down to the lobby. Nala had contacted him shortly beforehand to inform him that's where they were so Ed didn't waste any time knocking on Mustangs door. 6:35 saw him heading towards the aforementioned lioness and her human, Ayala in tow. Mustang greeted him and they headed outside and started walking for the Hughes household. There wasn't much conversation between the two but neither seemed to mind. 6:55 saw them knocking on a door Mustang was obviously familiar with. Ed looked around while they were waiting to be invited inside.

The Hughes' lived in a nice enough neighbourhood. They'd passed a park and there were shops nearby. Their house was nice. It was a bit smaller than Ed's childhood home but it was still nice. Ed just didn't like the fact the neighbours were so close by. He didn't think he could have handled that. Ayala shared his sentiments. The door finally opened and both Animals and humans were invited inside by a very excited Maes. Ed could only describe the inside of the house as cosy. It wasn't too bright but everywhere was covered in photos and kids toys. It reminded him of how his house looked growing up, before their mum died. Mustang and Hughes were talking when Mustang was suddenly under attack by a blur that latched onto his legs.

"UNCLE ROY!" Ed assumed this was Elysia. He looked at the little brunette girl who was now firmly attached to Mustangs legs while talking to said man excitedly. Ed could see the family resemblance. Mustang never even got a word out before Elysia spotted the big cat sitting next to him. "NALA!" was the only warning she got before she found herself with little girl's arms wrapped around her neck. Mustang winced sympathetically as Elysia's death grip on his Animal's neck tightened. Before he could do anything though, Elysia finally spotted Ed and Ayala, both of whom were watching the scene unfold in mild amusement. Maes spotted where her attention was now aimed.

"Elysia, honey?" The little girl looked at him. "This is Ed and his wolf, Ayala. They're friends of Uncle Roy's." Ed guessed that was easier for her to understand rather than 'possible future subordinate'. He gave the small girl a smile, which she returned. They were distracted by an amused female voice calling from somewhere further in the house.

"Have you two trapped our guests in the hallway again?" Ed assumed that that was Gracia. Maes and Elysia shared a guilty smile before Maes called back.

"Of course not, dear. We're just making some introductions," he said as he beckoned for them to follow him through. Ed and Ayala made up the rear of the group, Maes having swept Elysia up and was now making her giggle wildly by scratching his stubbled cheek against hers.

Soon they were gathered in a nice sized dining room/kitchen area. There was no wall separating the kitchen and dining room, presumably so Gracia could keep an eye on Elysia while she was cooking. Ed finally spotted Gracia in the kitchen. He nearly gasped at how much she reminded him of his own mum. They didn't physically look alike - Trisha had had chestnut brown hair that fell mid-way down her back and dark green eyes, Gracia had short blonde hair and light green eyes - but the resemblance Ed saw was in their warm smiles, they both held themselves the same way when they cooked, their eyes had the same shine about them. When Gracia noticed him and smiled warmly in greeting, Ed felt his heart skip a beat. He hadn't met anyone who reminded him so strongly over his mother. Ayala nudged his flesh hand, an almost invisible way to break him from his train of thought. Ed must've blocked the others out because the next thing he heard was Gracia talking to him.

"Nice to meet you, Edward. Dinner's almost ready. Why don't you guys go sit at the table? Maes, Roy, take some things out with you, please," she asked the two men who were just about to leave empty handed. Elysia was already sitting in her spot and demanded that Ed and Roy sat on either side of her. Both men did as they were told. Ayala was curled up on Ed's left while Elysia was sitting to his right. Something caught Ayala's attention and she lifted her head up, ears perked forward. Ed didn't miss the sudden movement.

"What's wrong?" He asked, frowning in confusion. He couldn't sense anything wrong. Mustang and Maes stopped talking and paid attention to Ed.

 _"They have the same Animal,"_ was all Ayala replied with. Not specific but considering the only Animal he hadn't met was Gracia's, he made the connection easily enough.

"They do?" A nod from the wolf. Ed was still confused. "And why is that surprising?" Surely people with the same Animals met all the time. Mustang and Maes realised there wasn't a threat and relaxed. Elysia continued to regale them with whatever story she was telling them.

 _"It's just rare for two people with the exact same species of Animal to fall in love, that's all,"_ Ayala explained. Ed remembered reading something that suggested the same thing. He didn't really pay much attention to it. Moments later, Gracia came over with the lasagne and Ed finally saw her Animal which was indeed a Grey Fox, just like Maes'. After placing it on the table, she took her seat and everyone started digging in. Maes served Elysia hers. The Animals also got lasagne for dinner, something Ayala was very happy about. It only took a few bites for Ed to realise that Gracia's cooking was another thing that strongly reminded him of his mother. Everyone was too busy eating to talk. Hughes wasn't exaggerating when he said Gracia's lasagne was excellent. Gracia was the first to break the silence.

"So, Ed, Maes told me a little about you. How'd you and Roy meet?" Ed startled slightly at being spoken to but recovered quickly.

"Apparently he was in Resembool last year following rumours of a powerful alchemist living there. He'd apparently suspected the rumours were referring to an alchemist called Hohenheim but he soon realised they were talking about me," Ed explained. "My brother and I were recovering from a farming accident at my neighbours when he broke into my house and found evidence of some the alchemy I'd been working on while ransacking it. He found where I was staying and offered me the job. I decided to take him up on his offer." He hadn't missed Gracia shooting Mustang a dirty look at the mention of the break in nor did he miss Maes' amused expression or Roy's offended one. Elysia was the one who spoke next.

"You broke into Ed's home? That's naughty," she reprimanded Mustang, a cross look on her little face. Ed couldn't hide his grin. Elysia reminded him of Al when he was little. His little brother had a strong moral compass when he was her age as well. Mustang seemed to be lost for words. Maes and Gracia seemed proud of their daughter. Ayala and Nala were also amused at Mustang being lectured by a three-year-old. Gracia turned her attention back to Ed.

"Did your brother stay back in Resembool?" Ed nodded.

"Yeah, figured there was no point in dragging him and Chester down here. I couldn't put my little brother through having to put up with Mustang while I was in the exams." Gracia grinned but said nothing on the last remark.

"Chester?" She focused on the name instead.

"Yeah, my brothers Animal. He's a Sunda Clouded Leopard," he told her. Gracia frowned in thought for a moment.

"You and your brother both have your Animals?" Ed nodded. "When did you get them? You seem a little young to have already gotten your Animal, let alone your younger brother."

"Ayala turned up a couple of months before my tenth birthday. Chester appeared a couple of days after Al's tenth birthday." Gracia and Maes both looked surprised. Mustang already knew so he didn't. Elysia was busy chasing her veggies around the plate, too young to realise what Ed actually said.

"Wow. I don't think I've ever come across anyone who'd gotten their Animals so young." Maes certainly sounded impressed. Ed shrugged, getting a little uncomfortable with the attention. Gracia seemed to use her uncanny mother powers to tell and changed the topic.

"So you're an alchemist? Do you have specialty?" She figured he'd like talking about alchemy. She knew she was right when his eyes sparkled.

"Yeah but I don't have a specialty," he told her. "I've never seen the point of narrowing my learning to one particular alchemy style. I do really well at manipulating metal, earth, plants and lots of other stuff now. My brother is a lot better than I am with organic alchemy though. I can also manipulate water to a certain extent but I need more practice with it after taking a year off from alchemy." He missed the look Maes threw Roy when he mentioned his water alchemy. That meant he also missed the way Mustang blanched at the news. Elysia had finally finished her dinner, which she then announced loudly to the whole table. Maes and Gracia ushered Ed, Mustang and Elysia to the living room to wait while Gracia made cuppas for everyone. Elysia proclaimed she was bored and wanted to see some alchemy.

"No, not Uncle Roy's alchemy! It's boring! I wanna see big brother Ed's alchemy!" She exclaimed when Roy moved to snap his fingers to create a carefully controlled flame, a trick Elysia normally loved. Ed laughed at Mustangs expression and moved to sit next to Elysia.

"Okay, I think I know something you'll like but you need to go get me some things first. You listening?" She nodded enthusiastically and turned her undivided attention on Ed. "Good. I need lots of paper and some pens." Once Ed finished speaking, Elysia took off like a rocket to complete her mission. Hughes went looking for his camera while Roy simply accepted the cup of coffee Gracia handed him. Gracia sat next to the seat Maes had vacated.

"Looks like you're the new favourite, Ed." She winked at him.

"Nah, I'm just new. You watch; if Al ever meets her, she'd be demanding alchemic tricks from him instead," he told her. It was the same with them when they were little. They'd learn one array and suddenly it wasn't as impressive as the next.

"Al's your little brother?" Gracia asked.

"Yup," Ed replied, taking a sip of his hot chocolate. There was no milk in it, as per his request.

"What's the age difference, if you don't mind me asking?" Gracia asked curiously. She'd taken a liking to Ed.

"A year," Ed replied. They were interrupted by the simultaneous return of both Maes and Elysia, the latter carrying as many pieces of paper she could find and as many pens as she could fit in her chubby hands. Ed relieved her of her burden. "Good job! Now, I need to draw an array." He thought for a moment then picked a piece of paper up and sized it up. He seemed to realise it wasn't big enough so he got four pieces of paper and sketched the array carefully over all four of them, making sure the lines were perfect. Sitting on his heels, he nodded, satisfied with his worked. He carefully placed the rest of the paper plus the colourful textas Elysia had grabbed in the middle of the array. He had the undivided attention of everyone but he spoke to Elysia. "Okay, now you gotta stand back, okay?" He watched her take two steps back and watch the pile expectantly. Happy with the distance, he placed his hands on the array and watched the alchemic energy light up the living room. A few moments later, the light died down and Ed handed his creation and handed it to Elysia. The little girl squealed in happiness when she was handed the multi-coloured paper flowers Ed had made her and she threw her arms around his neck.

"Thanks, big brother!" She let go of him so she could go show her mother the flowers.

"Wow, Ed! These are beautiful!" Gracia complimented as she looked them over before giving them back to her daughter so she could show her father.

"Thanks. I'm glad the colours didn't bleed together." He smiled at her. Once Maes had declared the flowers perfect for his little angel, said angel headed to show Mustang, who took them and studied them.

"These are very good. You barely left a trace of alchemy on them," he said once he'd handed them back.

"I was able to take my time with the design and think it through." Ed shrugged. He knew if he'd rushed them, they wouldn't have turned out as well. The adults watched as Elysia went around to Nala and Ayala and showed them the flowers. Both Animals gave them a once over and deemed them good. Elysia seemed overjoyed with that. She finally sat down in front of Ayala and started introducing herself properly and proceeded to talk the wolf's ear off.

Ed sat back on the couch now that he was finished performing for the little girl. They spent the next hour talking about different things, mostly they were asking Ed about different things. Ed was happy to realise neither Maes nor Gracia were going to press for details about the 'farming accident' or ask about his injuries. They were definitely good people, in his opinion. Once Gracia noticed Elysia couldn't get through a sentence without yawning, she announced it was the little girls bedtime. After complaining for a minute, Elysia gave in and gave everyone in the room a good night hug, Ed included. Mustang and Ed took Elysia going to bed as their cue to head to hotel for the night. They bade Gracia good night and Maes walked them to the front door. They almost made it out when Ed realised there was one family member he hadn't been introduced too.

"Where's Gracia's fox?" He asked Maes. "I only saw it briefly tonight." He saw the man look surprised for a moment before answering.

"Gracia's fox has a peculiar habit of hiding when someone comes over for the first time. She'll have hidden in the room with us but stayed out of sight. Leo would've been with her," he explained. "If she likes the person, next time they come over, she'll introduce herself."

"Huh. Cool." Ed knew some Animals had odd habits. He hadn't noticed any Ayala had picked up but that didn't mean much. Mustang and Ed plus the Animals stepped outside onto the steps while Maes lingered in the doorway.

"Thanks for having us over for dinner, Maes. Gracia's cooking was wonderful as always," Mustang said.

"You're welcome. Good luck with your exam tomorrow, Ed. I'm sure you'll do great. Let me know when you're next in town. We'd love to have you and Ayala over again." Maes beamed at him.

"Thanks, Mr Hughes. I'll keep that in mind." He grinned back. Hughes waved a hand at him.

"Maes is fine. Of course, Roy, you're always welcome to come back too." He winked at his best friend, who rolled his eyes in response.

"Thanks, _Maes_ ," Mustang emphasised his first name and Maes grin grew wider.

"Have a safe walk back, you lot." He waved as they all made it out onto the sidewalk. Roy and Ed both waved back and Maes finally went inside. They were silent for a few minutes before Mustang asked Ed a question.

"How'd you manage to make the flowers and dye them with the one array?" That question had been burning his curiousity ever since he saw the transmuted results.

"I combined two arrays," Ed answered like it was obvious.

"You combined two arrays?" Mustang sounded disbelieving. It was hard combining two arrays and getting a successful result on the first try.

"Well, I technically chose two arrays and picked the parts I needed and created the one array but yeah, I combined two arrays," Ed informed him.

"You created an array on the spot?" Mustang wondered if he'd ever figure out the kids genius level.

"Yeah. I've done it before so it's not a big deal." He looked at Ayala. He couldn't understand why Mustang sounded surprised. Mustang dropped the subject. Ed was glad. The rest of the walk was in silence. The next time they spoke was in the elevator, heading up for their level.

"We'll head to Central Command at 8:30am. We can get breakfast on the way again. That way, we can catch a train for East City at a decent time tomorrow and await your results there," Mustang told him. He could also luck out and avoid Maes' pictures until next time he was in Central. A State Alchemist can dream, right?

"Sounds good," Ed agreed. The quicker he finished, the sooner he'd get his results and the faster he'd get back to Al.

Ayala agreed with her human's thoughts. She could get back to the wide, open fields. She wasn't fond of the city. It was too busy, too cramped, too noisy and too many people and Animals for her tastes. Once outside their rooms, Mustang and Ed bade each other a good night and headed to get ready for bed. Ed showered and finally put his pyjama's on rather than falling asleep in his clothes again. Even though it was still relatively early, Ed was asleep within minutes. Ayala curled up next to her human and was soon asleep as well.

 **A/N - Revised chapter 9 for you! Lemme know what you all think to it!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10-**

When Ed awoke, courtesy of the Nala alarm, he felt better than he had in a long time. He hadn't had any dreams or nightmares and there was no sudden noise to wake him. That didn't mean he appreciated the lioness basically screaming inside his head to get him up. Muttering dark threats he had no inclination of fulfilling back to the lioness, he heard her chuckle before she disconnected now she was sure he was up. Ayala, the evil wolf, was rubbing in the fact that she didn't have to get ready by lying in the middle of the bed, watching him. Finally ready and willing to eat any café out of food, he and Ayala headed out to meet up with Mustang and Evil Incarnated, aka Nala. Judging by Mustangs smirk, Nala had told him a slightly altered version of how he'd been woken up. Thankfully Mustang seemed to read the subtle 'one word and I'll tear you apart' expression Ed was sporting because he never mentioned the wake-up call.

"Good morning. You prepared for the final part?" Was his greeting instead. Ed gave him the credit he was due. Alchemy was one of, like, three topics Ed could talk about before coffee without attacking someone.

"If by 'prepared' you mean 'am I ready to perform alchemy' and not 'do you know what array you'll use' than yes. If not, then nope," Ed answered as the four of them walked the route they'd taken the day before. Ed assumed they'd be dining at the same café as well. He was alright with that. Food was food and they served good food. Ayala mentally rolled her eyes at her human. Mustang raised a brow at him.

"You don't know what transmutation you'll perform?" Mustang asked disbelievingly. Ed shrugged a shoulder at him. What could he say?

"I don't plan things ahead of time. I usually just go with the flow," Ed told him. "It'll be fine," he added when he realised Mustang was looking like his whole future was about to go up in flames.

Ed wasn't stupid. He'd had a year to think about the offer and he realised that Mustang was looking to climb the military ladder. He was a colonel already and wasn't even 30 yet. Ed also knew that if he managed to become a State Alchemist, Mustang's reputation and military standing would be better than it is now. Ed was simply a tool for him to use to reach his goal. Any and all of his successes would reflect on Mustang. Granted, so would his failures and mistakes. Ed wasn't planning on making mistakes or failing and they both knew it. Ed knew Mustang was using him and he knew Mustang knew that Ed was planning on using him. They both had goals to reach and both needed the other in order to reach them. Mustang didn't look reassured by Ed's words. Ed almost laughed at the pained expression on his face. Ayala and Nala just shook their heads at their humans and continued to forge ahead for the café, eager for their own breakfasts.

* * *

The café was finally reached and none of them were upset about that. The waitress seemed happy to see them again and happily served them, not even blinking an eye at Ed's massive order. Mustang still couldn't believe Ed could eat that much but he didn't question it a second time. Once their bellies were full and brains working again, thanks to the coffee, they paid their bill and headed towards Central Command once again. They headed through the gates and Ed defaulted to following Mustang since he was the only one who actually knew where he was going. They stopped outside a door and Mustang turned to him.

"When we head in, Nala and I will be heading up some stairs to the viewing platform. You and Ayala will be expected to follow the four soldiers and follow their instructions. It'll just be me and a couple other high-ranking officials. Ayala will need to stay a few feet behind you when you perform the transmutation. Just do your best." Ed smirked at him.

"I always do." Mustang chose to just push the door open rather than respond. Four soldiers greeted them.

Ed and Ayala noted these soldiers had their Animals with them. There was a German Shepard, a duck, a deer of some sort, and a Tasmanian Devil, if Ed remembered correctly. Introductions were made, not that Ed was really listening, but after a couple minutes, Mustang and Nala were heading for the viewing platform and Ed and Ayala were being led to the middle of the room. The room was well lit and massive. Ed saw it wasn't really a viewing platform but a separate level that looked down onto this floor. Two soldiers, the ones with the German Shepard and Tasmanian Devil, positioned themselves next to Ed while the other two stood behind him. Ed wasn't sure if he was meant to start and was waiting for one of the soldiers to speak up when someone said something.

"We're just waiting for one more person. He insisted on being here and was informed when you arrived. He shouldn't be much longer," the soldier with the Shepard announced.

Ed chanced a glance at Mustang who appeared quizzical. Obviously, Mustang didn't know who it was. A door opened on the other side of the room and Ed saw three men enter the room. One of them was obviously important because the other two were constantly on guard. The man was tall, wore an eye-patch, had a moustache and black hair. He was equipped with one sword on his left hip. But what really grabbed Ed's attention was the fact that he didn't seem to have an Animal. Ayala seemed to realise the oddity and was just as confused. Ed was going to ask her opinion when the man spoke.

"Is that a steel prosthetic?" Ed looked down at his hands and realised that he'd forgotten to put his gloves on while he was getting ready. To be fair, he was hungry. He grabbed his metal wrist and looked at it while answering.

"Yeah. I got it during the Eastern conflict." The man made a small noise. Understanding? Pity? Ed wasn't sure.

"Yeah, we sure had a lot of trouble with Ishval," the man said. Ed looked at him before turning to the man on his right and whispered.

"Who is this guy?" The soldier looked shocked.

"Idiot! That's Fuhrer King Bradley!" Ed looked back at the man. He wasn't overly impressed with the man in front of him. Maybe it was just that he didn't look how Ed imagined the Fuhrer would look.

"Alright. Let the examination begin!" King Bradley announced. Mustang looked eager to see what Ed would do. It wasn't until that moment that Ed actually knew which transmutation he was going to perform. Ayala knew as well, since she was connected to him and she wasn't impressed with that last part.

 _"Don't you dare. Don't argue either. I'm not risking you going to jail for showing off. I will stop you if you do,"_ she warned him. He knew she wasn't bluffing either. He internally sighed.

"But it'd be so good! Knock him down a peg or two." He felt Ayala get ready to lecture. He didn't want to endure that. "Okay! Okay! Geez, if you're that against it, I won't do it!" The soldier who'd told him Bradley's name distracted them from their silent argument.

"Do you need something to draw a transmutation circle with?" Ed scoffed at him.

"I don't need anything," he informed him.

A look behind him ensured him that Ayala was a safe distance away as he raised his hands. A clap resonated around the room as Ed completed his circle. He dropped into a crouch and placed his hands on the floor in front of him. A blue light encircled him and energy crackled around him as he focused on forming his transmutation, not even letting the wind the transmutation created distract him as his jacket and hair whipped around. He wished he could see Mustangs face as he slowly stood, drawing the ground material with him as he moulded the material. He settled for the surprised sounding 'without a circle' he heard from Mustang.

As he finished straightening up, his end result was made clear. The spear balanced on its tip before Ed snatched it out of the air and moved into a fighting stance. The spear was artfully created, if he did say so himself. Its head was sharp and deadly and the whole thing was beautifully balanced. Ayala was preparing herself to tackle Ed to the ground if he went through with the second part of this show but he thankfully heeded her warning and simply slammed the spear butt-first into the ground. A slow clap sounded from in front of him and he focused his attention on Bradley.

"Nicely done. I don't think I've ever seen an alchemist manage alchemy without drawing the array first. I think you'll make a fine State Alchemist. Colonel Mustang did well finding you." Mustang barely stopped himself from startling at the praise. Ed didn't say anything. He was too busy trying to figure out why he was suspicious of a man he didn't even know. Ayala was too busy thanking whoever had Ed listen to her.

Ed was still put out that he never got to do what he wanted to do but he wasn't willing to risk his Animals wrath over something that trivial. Bradley and his escort walked out of the room and Mustang and Nala found their way back to Ed. The soldiers around him were talking about his unique ability. Ed chuckled. If this is how they reacted to him doing alchemy with no circle, how would they react if they ever found out about his other abilities? Mustang didn't say anything about his unique transmutation style. All he said was that they were leaving.

Ed figured interrogating him in with witnesses around was a bad idea considering he was pretty sure Mustang knew what his answer would be and having him mention that night in front of everyone would earn him a one-way trip to prison. Ayala and Nala trailed behind their respective humans, watching the soldiers as they stole glances at Ed. Nala knew and Ayala had a sneaking suspicion that everyone on base would know about Ed within a day. Mustang waited until they were back in the hallway before he spoke.

"So how long have you been able to do that little trick?" If Ed knew him better, he'd have been able to pick up the hint of annoyance at not being told about it. But Ed didn't know him that well so all he heard was the suspicion and curiousity.

"I've probably been able to do it for over a year but thanks to how long I took to recover, I only discovered the ability about a month ago," Ed said carefully after mulling his answer over in his head first. Mustang looked like his theory had been proven correct. After a couple moments of silence, Mustang answered.

"Okay, let's head over to Hughes. I need him to book us our tickets back to East City." He headed off in the direction of Investigations. Ed figured this conversation wasn't over. Ayala agreed with him.

* * *

A short while later, Mustang was knocking on Hughes's door before entering. Ed followed him with no hesitation. Maes greeting was just as enthusiastic as it was the day before. Ed wondered if his greeting would change if he saw Mustang all the time. He doubted it. Leo looked up in interest before deciding he'd rather sleep. Ed suddenly grinned. He hadn't tried talking to Leo yet. Reaching out like he'd done with Nala, he ignored the two adults and focused on the small grey fox.

"Hello, Leo. How are you?" The effect was instantaneous. Leo sat up like he'd zapped and stared at Ed.

 _"How the hell did you do that?"_ Leo's gaze didn't lose any of its intensity as he waited for Ed's response. Ed shrugged.

"I'm a person of many talents," was his reply. The answer did nothing to lessen Leo's curiousity and shock. Their conversation was interrupted by Maes.

"Can you really?" Ed's brows furrowed in confusion. He'd obviously missed the important part of that conversation. Whoops. Maes realised and elaborated. "Transmute without a circle?" A small ding went off in Ed's head as realised what Maes was on about.

"Well, that's not technically correct," Ed said. "I can transmute without having to draw the array out or have an array like Mustang's. No one can transmute without a circle. Mine's just internal," he couldn't help correcting. It was a habit he had.

"So you just think of the array and put your hands on whatever you want to transmute and that's it?" Maes tried to simplify. He almost got it.

"No, I need to clap. By doing that, I'm creating the circle with my body. But other than that, you're correct. I just think of the array, clap and transmute," Ed explained. If Maes had asked how placing his hands together completed the circle, Ed probably wouldn't have been able to answer. It was just something that he knew but he'd never be able to put it into words. Thankfully, Maes didn't seem to care about the technicalities of it. Instead, he seemed to realise something and asked about that.

"So if you can do that, why'd you draw out the array you used for Elysia?" Mustang looked interested in the answer as well. He hadn't made that connection.

"I didn't want anyone to know until I was ready. I wasn't even sure I was going to reveal that trick today until I was outside the room," Ed lied smoothly. In reality, he didn't want to be interrogated by Mustang last night when he could've been sleeping. Maes seemed to accept that as an answer. Mustang seemed satisfied by it as well. Maes and Mustang turned back to their own conversation. Ed listened long enough to hear 'train station' and 'East City' before turning back to the fox he'd so rudely ignored. Leo was not impressed.

 _"So how is it you can talk to me like you're my human?"_ Clearly, Leo was not one to let go of a subject when given a dissatisfying answer. Ed sighed.

"I can't tell you without telling you the whole story and I'm not telling you the whole story. No offense, but I can't risk it. All I'll say is I discovered this talent about a year ago and it came about after my accident." Ayala wasn't privy to the silent conversation but she could sense Ed's emotions and that was enough for her to get the basic picture. She really hoped the fox would listen to her Ed. She didn't want to start a fight with another Animal.

 _"Fine. I get it. What else can you do?"_ Leo was obviously not content with the answer but he knew better than most people what sort of horrors could lay in someone's past and he respected Ed's honesty about why he wouldn't tell him. There were things in his own humans past he'd never tell anyone, no matter who they were. But he had to admit he was dying with curiousity. Maybe the boy would tell him when he trusted him more. He also had a feeling that the array-less transmuting and hearing Animals weren't the only abilities of his. His eyes shone in victory when he saw Ed's face go slightly slack from surprise.

"Sight-share. How'd you know?" Leo startled at that. Of all the things Ed could've said, sight-sharing with an Animal that wasn't his wasn't one of the ones he expected. Granted, he never expected to hear any human except Maes in his head either. He gave a mental shrug.

 _"Dunno. Had a feeling. So you can hear us and sight-share with us. Is there anything else I should be aware of?"_ Ed shook his head. Leo was rather grateful for that. The idea of him and Maes no longer being the only ones in their bond was a little more than a lot unnerving. Apparently, Ed sensed this.

"Don't worry. Unless it's an emergency or I need to know something right away, I'm leaving it to the Animals who know about my abilities to establish the connection. So far, Nala, my brother's Animal and my Granny's Animal are the only ones who know, aside from you," Ed reassured him. He'd made that decision based on two things; he didn't want Ayala to feel like he didn't care about her and he didn't want to potentially interrupt something important of private with the other Animals. Leo was very happy to hear that. But that did lead him to another question.

 _"Why'd you tell me?"_ The kid hadn't even known him for two days and Leo could tell this kid wasn't one to blindly trust other people.

"Honestly? I trust you and Hughes." Leo looked surprised. "Trust me, I'm as surprised as you but you guys let me into your home with your family and never pushed me to answer questions I clearly didn't want too. Also, Hughes seems to really bug Mustang and that is a massive bonus in my books." Leo snorted in amusement. His human was certainly, well 'enthusiastic' seemed a bit weak but it did cover his personality well enough. Maes' attention was grabbed by his chuckling Animal when he saw a glint and took a second look.

"Ed?" He called, catching the young boys attention. "Is that automail?" He gestured to his right hand and Ed looked down. He cursed in his head. He'd totally forgotten, again, that he didn't have his gloves on. Sighing, he met the older man's gaze.

"Yeah. The whole right arm and most of my left leg. Lost them in the accident last year." Mustang was wearing a good poker face. He didn't betray that he knew Ed was lying in the slightest. Ed was also proud of the fact that Maes wouldn't be able to see past his mask either.

If Ed was being honest, he was the single worst liar on the planet. He'd always get caught and it wasn't until he was six that he'd learned to tell half-truths when he wanted to get away with something. So he wasn't technically lying when he said he was in an accident last year. That transmutation shouldn't have failed therefore: accident. Maes facial expression changed from pity to confusion rather quickly.

"Wait, you got the automail installed last year?" Ed nodded, realising where this was gonna go. "I thought it took at least three years to heal completely from the surgery?" Victory was Ed's. The answer to Maes' question wasn't.

"Apparently you just need an extraordinary amount of stubbornness to speed up recovery time." Mustang deadpanned. Ed glared. Maes' eyes twinkled with laughter.

"I'm not the one who sulked because a kid refused to answer your questions on the train so you could skip out on the paperwork Miss Riza gave you," Ed retaliated. Maes couldn't keep his laughter in and he was knowingly joined by both Leo and unknowingly by Nala, each Animal having various experience with Roy trying to avoid paperwork. Mustang looked like he couldn't believe Ed would go there. Ed: 1. Roy: 0.

"Did you book our tickets yet?" He asked Maes in a not so subtle attempt to change the subject. Hughes's eyes shone with amusement. Ed smirked at his victory.

"Yes. You two are booked on the 12:00pm train to East City. You've got copies of the paperwork Ed will need to fill out if he's accepted, right?" He asked his best friend, knowing his aversion to paperwork meant he sometimes 'forgot' ones that needed to be filled out, not just signed. Mustang recognised the question for what it was; a subtle jab.

"I'm sure Hawkeye has already organised it for him." He decided against taking the bait. His best friend could be an arse and he didn't need the kid to learn anything he could use as ammo from Maes. Unbeknownst to Mustang, Ed was no longer paying attention to their conversation.

 _"So does any other humans know about your abilities?"_ Leo asked.

"My brother, childhood best friend and my granny are the only ones. Mustang doesn't even know. Nala wants to wait for the perfect moment to tell him," Ed told him honestly. Leo thought for a moment.

 _"Okay. I'm willing to leave it up to you to tell Maes."_ Ed was slightly taken aback. He knew Nala wanted to keep that secret because she wanted to use it to prank Mustang but he hadn't expected Leo to keep it to himself too. Leo must've realised his shock. _"It's not my place to tell him. I think you're a trustworthy kid who won't use these abilities without a reason. I also believe you should be the one to decide when you're willing to trust Maes enough with this information. I could tell you for hours on end about how he's one of the most loyal people in this country but it needs to be your decision."_ Ed mulled Leo's words over. It wasn't a matter of trust when it came to Maes. Ed just didn't want to burden him with his secrets. Honestly, he was grateful Leo had offered to keep this information to himself. He smiled at the fox.

"Thanks, Leo," he said. Leo grinned back. Ed and all three Animals lulled into small talk before Mustang stood, catching the blondes attention.

"Come on, kid. We better get to the hotel and grab our gear. We'll need to be at the train station soon anyway." Ed had a feeling that there would be a lengthy chat somewhere in between packing their stuff and heading to the station. Maes stood up just as Ed did and walked them to his office door, Ed barely managing to say goodbye to Leo before they were out the door.

"See ya, Roy. I'll make sure you get more pictures of my darling Elysia and wonderful Gracia as soon as possible." Completely ignoring Mustang's mutterings of 'don't bother' and 'I'll just burn them', he faced Ed. "When you're next in town, make sure you drop by to say hello and have dinner with us. Bring your brother and his Animal with you. We'd love to meet them." He smiled warmly at Edward.

"Thanks, Hughes. I'll tell Al. I'm sure we'll be passing through Central sooner or later." Ed grinned back at him.

With a final wave, the two alchemists headed for their hotel. Ed hoped he'd have some time in East City to do a bit of shopping. He still wanted to find that fabric for his jacket and he knew Granny and Winry would probably want some things. He'd have to ask Den to ask them. He internally grimaced at the thought of Winry's potential shopping list and decided he'd have to remind Den to remind the wrench maniac that he had limited spending money. Much to Ed's stomachs happiness, Mustang decided they should stop for lunch on the way since they wouldn't have the time otherwise.

* * *

Once fed, they made their way back to the hotel and Ed escaped into his room so he could gather all of his crap. He wasn't sure how he'd managed to spread his stuff so far since he'd only spent a few hours in the room awake. Ayala helped where she while also complimenting him on his ability to get his socks in the cabinet beneath the bathroom sink. Edward kindly asked her to shut it. A knock sounded just as he managed to smoosh the last of his stuff in the suitcase and alchemically sealed it shut. Ed headed for the door, leaving Ayala to do the last last-minute dash around the room for any overlooked items. Mustang and Nala greeted him. Granted he wasn't expecting anyone else but you never know. Before he could spin around and get his things, Mustang spoke.

"Can we come in? There's some things I'd like to discuss." Mustang looked and sounded very serious. Ed internally groaned. He'd forgotten that he'd predicated that Mustang would interrogate him about his alchemy technique.

 _"You're not in trouble, Ed. He's just curious,"_ Nala misinterpreted his hesitation as 'oh fuck I'm in trouble', not 'oh fuck I don't want to spend the next hour being questioned'. Ayala had glued herself to Ed's side as soon as she felt his emotions, something Nala and Mustang didn't fail to miss. Ed gestured for them to come inside. As much as he didn't want to have this conversation, he wanted to have it in an open hallway even less.

Mustang and Nala headed inside and stood near the bed, waiting while Ed shut the door and re-joined them. Crossing him arms as a defensive habit, Ed glared at Mustang, waiting for him to speak. Mustang was debating how to make this conversation as quick as possible whilst getting the most information out of Ed as possible. He knew the kid was only 12 but that didn't mean he wasn't going to spill his guts. Getting through automail rehab in only a year was definitive proof of his stubbornness. A realisation sparked. Mustang followed his instincts.

"That was a pretty neat trick in that exam. How'd you learn it?" Mustang praised the boy. Ed narrowed his eyes. It wasn't the praise that he was wary of but how he would answer. Teacher had always hinted at Truth whenever he or Al had asked her but he didn't get what she meant until after the failed transmutation. So he decided to answer Mustang with something Teacher always said before they gave up. If he could figure it out, Ed _might_ answer him more truthfully.

"It's surprising; the things you learn from Truth," Ed said cryptically. Mustangs eyes were the ones to narrow. He knew the kid had answered him truthfully since he also knew the kid couldn't lie for shit.

There was an itch in the back of his mind telling him he knew what the boy meant but he just couldn't figure it out. He knew it would drive him mental until he did though. He knew it obviously had something to do with the night Ed activated that array. So that array plus something equalled Ed's alchemic genius and no circle trick. When Mustang didn't respond after a couple of minutes, Ed felt relief run through him. If Mustang knew about Truth it would mean he did a lot of research on human transmutation at some stage, more research than the Elric brothers did, and Ed didn't want to know why.

"Okay, so how is it done? I've never seen anyone do alchemy that way before." Mustang now wanted to know the mechanics behind it instead of how he knew it. Ed could work with that. He wouldn't pass an opportunity to one up any adult, especially Mustang.

"It's simple. I still use an array, it's just internal. I think about the array I want to use, visualise it and form the circle by connecting my hands," Ed explained as though it was simple as breathing. Which, granted, it was for him now. Mustang looked lost in his thoughts. That itch was still there but he still couldn't figure out what it meant.

"So anyone can do it?" Mustang asked. His alchemy was easy enough to activate. All he had to do was snap, so long as he was wearing his gloves. Ed mulled over his answer.

"I suppose so. You've just got to be willing to pay the price," Ed said after a moment. Ayala whined at him and Ed gave her a small smile. He glanced at the clock. "We should go. Our train will leave soon." This provided the perfect excuse to stop talking about his abilities. Ayala sympathised with Ed. He always hated talking about his private life to strangers. There were even subjects that people like Granny and Winry knew better than to bring up.

If Mustang kept prying into his life, he was going to cop an Edward explosion and that was never pretty to witness. Thankfully, Mustang seemed to get the underlying 'shut your face before I shut it for you' message Ed was passing along and simply gestured for Ed to grab his suitcase and follow him. Edward and Ayala both knew the questions would more than likely start again once they were in the privacy of the cabin Hughes had almost definitely booked for them but for now they relished the silence as they headed for the station.

* * *

All too quickly for Ed's liking, they had their tickets and were seated in one of the cabins and were steadily moving towards East City. Mustang and Nala were mostly silent for the trip however once their tickets had been collected Ed knew the silence would soon come to an end. Mustang and Nala were sitting on their bench, the former staring out the window at the scenery while the latter was lazily watching Ed and Ayala. Said pair were sprawled on their bench, Ed using Ayala as a pillow while Ed was slowly dying of boredom. Mustang hadn't asked anything which Ed hoped was a sign he wouldn't.

With a sudden burst of energy, Ed dived almost completely off the bench to try and grab his suitcase from underneath it. Ayala panicked slightly, thinking her human was about to fall off the bench, grabbed him by the back of his jacket to steady him before she realised what he was doing. Mustang and Nala had both comically started at Ed's sudden movement. Both of them looked at Ed with confusion once they realised Ayala had him by the jacket. Ed's small cry of triumph preceded him dragging his suitcase into view. A clap later had said suitcase alchemically unsealed and Ed rummaging through it for something.

"What are you doing?" Mustang asked exasperatedly. Ed didn't even look up at him when he answered.

"Getting a book." The rummaging quickly ceased as Ed brought the book up to check the title. Mustang was amazed the kid hadn't suffocated himself yet. He was balanced on the edge of his bench, braced on his gut. Ayala was the only thing between him staying balanced and introducing his face to the floor. Ed sighed as he read the title and put it aside before diving back into his hunt. Mustang assumed Ed had already that book. A few seconds later, Ed resurfaced with a thicker book in tow and a satisfied look. By now Mustang was stunned the kid didn't have all his blood rushing to his face. Ed moved to put the discarded book back in his suitcase before he hesitated and looked at Mustang.

"Do you wanna read it? It's basically just a broad overview of earth alchemy and what you can do with it," Ed said, offering him the book. Mustang was surprised. He never pegged Ed to be the type to loan his books out.

"Thanks but I'll pass. It's not about my specialty," Mustang declined. Ed looked confused. He'd seen Mustangs small collection in his office and had noted they were about fire alchemy but he'd figured that was simply to show his superiors how dedicated he was to his craft or whatever.

"So?" Mustang rolled his eyes. Here he was thinking the kid was bright.

"Why would I waste my time reading books about alchemy I don't perform?" Ed looked at him like he'd grown an extra head. By this time, Ayala had helped pull him up so he was sitting on the bench like a normal human. Suddenly, Ed started laughing. Mustang was perplexed. That was not the reaction he was expecting.

"Seriously?! That's so stupid!" Ed managed to get out. Mustang was not happy being ridiculed by a 12-year-old.

"I don't see what's so funny about it. If it doesn't pertain to my alchemic specialty than I don't read it." Mustang was annoyed. Ed calmed down a little bit so he could talk properly.

"That's a stupid reason. Even if you can't or won't perform the alchemy, you should still study it." Mustang was about to open his mouth when Ed continued. "If you don't know how it works, how do you expect to counter it effectively?" _Well, fuck_. Mustang was stunned. He'd never thought about it like that. Like all alchemists, Mustang knew the basics of most alchemy. Also like most alchemists, once he'd discovered his specialty that's all he focused on. He noticed Ed wearing a smug expression and refused to let the kid get the upper hand.

"I've never had a problem before. Not much can beat fire." Ed raised a brow at that then understanding flashed across his face.

"So you're the type who throws his most powerful attack first before the opponent has a chance to strike so you either win straight out or you scare the poor bugger enough that they give up?" Mustang refused to squirm beneath that too-intelligent gaze.

"Yes. But even if they do fight back, I still win. Like I said, not much can beat fire." Mustang never let his confidence waver. Edward may be a genius but Mustang had years of experience on him and he refused to back down to a 12-year-old. Childish? Yes. Did he care? No.

"What about water? That's effective against fire. Or air? If you can manipulate the oxygen, you can starve a fire. Plus, I bet using your most powerful attack uses a lot of energy," Ed pointed out. Obviously the kid wasn't going to let this go anytime soon.

"That's true but no one's mastered water or air alchemy to the degree where my alchemy would be threatened. And while you may be right, like I pointed out before, most of my fights are over before they really begin." Ed scoffed.

"So, effectively, you're just lazy?" Mustang's offended look made him want to laugh. "Why would you use the most energy draining move, rendering you more vulnerable against a follow up attack when you could take a few hours and study up on different alchemy so you can find a small, less-energy-draining attack that would give you the same result minus the exhaustion? You don't even have to be an expert in the other alchemies. All you need is the solid understanding of how they work and a clever way to use your alchemy against it." Ed was making some seriously good points, in Nala's opinion. While they didn't happen often, there have been times when Roy used too much energy too quickly and was only saved from a surprise attack because of Nala and/or Hawkeye. Something she passed on to Mustang. Mustang silently told her to shut it.

"Okay. If that's true than how would you render my attack against you useless, were I to attack you right now?" Ayala growled a warning. She did not like people threatening her human, even hypothetically. Edward made a soothing gesture and studied Mustang for a moment.

"Simple. I'd get your gloves wet. Then you'd be forced to either get your spare pair, resort to your gun or fight hand-to-hand." Mustang was impressed. The kid was a lot more observant than he let on. Not many people knew that he couldn't perform his alchemy his normal way if his gloves were wet, even fewer knew he always carried a spare for that reason. While it wasn't mandatory for State Alchemists to carry a weapon like it was for normal soldiers, quite a few including Mustang opted too. Mustang felt the need to point out an apparent flaw in Ed's hypothetical plan.

"But there's no water in here. How would you get my gloves wet?" He was not expecting the small smirk on Ed's face. He and Ayala looked at each other and seen to come to an agreement. Ayala looked like she was going to enjoy this.

"Wanna see?" Ed's smirk had an underlying challenge to it. Mustang didn't hesitate. He was extremely curious now, if a bit wary, something he'd never admit to. Nala was beside him, switching between Ed and Mustang curiously.

"Let's see what you got." Mustangs trademark smirk was on his face. Ed was starting to hate that smirk.

Shifting so he was comfortable, he visualised the array he used the first night they got back to his and Al's home after returning from Dublith. He shut his eyes in concentration since this would be the first time he'd used it without drawing the array. Mustang watched intently as Ed focused before a clap resonated through the little cabin. Ed sat for a moment with his hands together before he slowly pulled them apart, alchemic energy dancing between his fingertips. Mustang wasn't sure what he was doing but refused to break the boy's concentration. Of course if this was a real fight, Mustang more than likely would've taken advantage of his intense concentration. Having said that, Ayala probably wouldn't let him within striking range.

After a few moments, Mustang finally saw what Ed was trying to achieve. It was small to start with but rapidly grew and soon enough, Ed had a sphere of water hovering above his hand and a slightly tired but pleased expression on his face. He was panting slightly but that was really the only sign Mustang had that indicated how tough that piece of alchemy was. Ed and Ayala glanced at each other before Ed got a gleam in his eyes that reminded Mustang too much of Maes when he was about to blackmail him. Quicker than Mustang thought possible, Ed had launched his weapon right at his face. Mustang reflexively threw his hands up to block the projectile, realising too late that that was exactly what Ed had hoped for. He lowered his now soaking gloves and glared at Edward who was cackling with laughter at his expression. Nala and Ayala had both joined in with his laughter and Nala laughed even harder at the expression of betrayal he threw her way.

"I guess I kind of asked for that," he relented. He changed gloves while Ed composed himself. He placed the wet ones next to him so they'd hopefully be dry before they pulled into East City. When Ed finally pulled himself together, Mustang spoke. "Although, if that were a real fight, I could've taken you down while you were transmuting," he pointed out.

"Yeah I'm not that great with water alchemy yet. I only started teaching myself a few months before," he paused for a moment before continuing, "then I had to wait a year for Granny to clear me so I could start practising again. That was the first time in nearly 18 months that I've actually tried water alchemy again," Ed admitted, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. Mustang was impressed. For 18 months between attempts, that was a good result. "I'll master it with a bit more practise." He shrugged but looked excited at the prospect. Ayala made a noise of encouragement and he grinned at her. Ed eyed his discarded gloves and sighed. Motioning to them, he spoke up. "Here, toss them over. I'll dry them for you," he added the last part when he spotted Mustangs 'why the fuck would I do that?' face. Reluctantly but seeing an opportunity to get Ed's trust, he threw his wet gloves to the blonde. Setting one glove on each leg, Ed clapped and placed a hand on each glove. A flare of alchemic energy from each hand and Mustang was thrown back a pair of steaming yet dry gloves.

"Nice work," he praised as he tucked them where the pair he was now wearing was hidden. Ed shrugged like it wasn't a big deal.

"It was nothing. Al and I used to get in trouble by mum every time we came home wet or muddy so I made up arrays that got rid of the mud and dried our clothes," he said dismissively. Mustangs brow quirked at that. He made up two arrays?

"How old were you when you made them?" Ed thought for a moment.

"Six. Al had just turned five and he was wearing his new clothes he'd gotten for his birthday when we fell into the creek playing. He was really upset and freaking out so I just came up with it," he explained. Mustang wondered if there was anything the kid couldn't think or fight his way out of. Ed gestured to the book that started this whole talk. "So do you want to read it?" Mustang thought through the pros and cons. It came down to him choosing between boredom and Eds possible smugness. He decided against boredom and took the offered book.

Ed simply sealed his suitcase back up and resumed laying on Ayala like he had been at the start of the trip. The only change was Ayala was now resting her head on his shoulder so she could read alongside him. The cabin was silent aside from the occasional page being turned and their breathing. It was during this peace that Ed realised he hadn't contacted Al since yesterday and mentally facepalmed before opening a line between him and Chester.

"Hey, tell Al I'm heading back to East City. I had my final exam this morning and I think I did good. Ayala wouldn't let me attack the Fuhrer though."

 _"Damn right I didn't. You could've been thrown in jail!"_ Ayala reminded him. Chester saved Ed from having to argue against that.

 _"Your brother says that it's great you did good and he's never been more grateful for Ayala than he is now and he hopes you know that the only reason he isn't lecturing you right now is because he knows Ayala would've already. He'd also like you to let me know when you've arrived in East City and where you're going to stay."_ Chester dutifully passed on. Both Animals smirked at Ed's less than flattering mumbles about his brother and Animal. However, something Chester said made Ed realise something. He had no clue where he was staying while he was in East City. Telling the leopard to wait a moment, he turned to Mustang.

"Hey, Mustang?" A grunt was all he got in response. "Where am I staying once we're in East City?" Mustang finally looked up from the book to answer him.

"There's a hotel in between the base and station that you'll be in. If you get accepted, the military will pay for your room. If, for some reason you don't, you have to pay for it." Ed nodded and went back to his reading and silent conversation while Mustang went back to his book. He'd never admit it to Ed but there were things in this book that he didn't know and could use against an Earth alchemist in the future. The kid did end up having a good point. Meanwhile, Ed had passed on what Mustang had told him to Chester.

 _"Okay. Just let us know when you get there, please? In the meantime, what have you been up too? And Al wants to know how you are?"_ Chester queried.

Ed, Chester, Al and Ayala chatted for nearly an hour about random things and Al lecturing Ed when he revealed exactly what he wanted to do to the Fuhrer had Ayala not been a joy-kill. Ayala and Chester were thoroughly amused by the lecture. Ed was decidedly less. Eventually, Chester and Al needed to stop the conversation. Al had apparently promised to help Winry with her orders. Ed was impressed not just by the fact that Al was willingly learning about automail but more the fact that Winry was letting him anywhere near her precious workstation and tools. Once they disconnected, Ed resumed his reading with Ayala.

* * *

Half an hour later saw Mustang and Nala snap their attention to Ed when he let out a small hiss of pain. They watched him shake his hand before sticking a finger in his mouth for a few moments then wipe his saliva off on his pants and inspect the wound.

"You okay?" Mustang obligately asked. Ed rolled his eyes.

"Papercut. I'll probably live." Ayala rolled her eyes before making Ed show her the cut. Sighing and mumbling about overprotective wolves, he showed her. Ayala snuffled and seemed to give him a clean bill of health. Mustang and Nala watched this exchange, highly amused. Ed watched his finger for a few moments before realising his audience was still watching him. "What? I swear, I won't bleed out from a papercut," he asked, amused at the attention.

"So why are you watching it if you won't bleed out?" Mustang asked, pointedly.

"I was seeing if it was still bleeding and if I needed to wrap it," Ed admitted. Mustang raised a brow.

"Why? It's just a papercut," he repeated Ed's words.

"Yeah but if it's gonna keep bleeding than I'll get blood on my book," Edward said like it was the most obvious reason.

"Seriously? You're worried about getting blood on the book?" Mustang asked incredulously. Ed looked at him like he didn't understand why that was so odd.

"Yeah. It's a good book. Plus it's my brother's." Ed didn't know why he was defending his response. If the book doesn't belong to you or if it's full of useful information, you do your best to keep it in as good condition as you can. Mustang didn't press the issue. He just shook his head and went back to his borrowed book. Ed looked at his finger and happily found it to be no longer bleeding so he also resumed his reading.

* * *

The rest of the train ride passed in relatively comfortable quiet. Ed and Ayala were both happy with the lack of questions that they were so sure Mustang wanted to ask back in Central. Neither bothered to question Mustang about the lack of questions. Soon enough, they were pulling into East City Station, Mustang passing Ed his book back a quick thank-you. Ed stuffed both books back in his suitcase and followed the black-haired alchemist and his lioness off the train and out of the station.

After experiencing Central, East City seemed a lot quieter, much more to Ed's liking than the bustle of Central. It still wasn't as good as Resembool or Dublith though, something Ayala wholeheartedly agreed with. It was fairly early when they arrived, nearly 6:30 at night so Mustang decided they'd grab some dinner before he helped Ed find the hotel. Not getting any arguments from the blonde or the wolf, not that he expected any, they ate at a nice restaurant and soon Ed was following him back out onto the busy street. Ed spotted a few shops that looked like they'd have the stuff he needed to buy before heading back to Resembool and mentally noted their names and where they were so he could find them later. Ayala was happily trotting next to him, taking in the different scents so she could help him find them later. Mustang was the first one to break the silence between them.

"Tomorrow morning, I'll be by at 8:00am to collect and escort you to the base. That way, you know how to get there from the hotel and you can reacquaint yourself with the team. I don't care what you do for the rest of the day so long as you stay in between the station and the base. That way, you'll be easier to find should your results come in tomorrow. Understood?" Ed rolled his eyes at Mustangs 'orders' but agreed.

 _"You realise you'll have to get used to that tone?"_ Nala pointed out to him. Ed shot her a questioning look. _"That's the tone he'll use when he's giving you missions and orders."_ Edward got what she was talking about. _"It's part of what you signed up for. You'll have to take orders, be respectful to your superiors and do all of it without grumbling,"_ she helpfully reminded him. Edward internally snorted.

"I wish Mustang luck trying to make me show him or anyone more respect than they deserve." Nala and Ayala weren't even slightly surprised by his answer. You didn't have to know Ed for long before you realised that he didn't conform to rules he didn't agree with and he treated people the way they treat him. Ayala and Nala also silently wished Mustang luck but more for dealing with Ed than having him give more respect than he thought was due.

Finally arriving at the motel, Ed followed Mustang to the front counter so he could arrange a room. Getting his key, he and Mustang said goodnight and Mustang reminded him he'd be by to get him in the morning. Ed rolled his eyes but he nodded and he watched Mustang and Nala leave before following the front desk lady's instructions. It wasn't overly late, barely 8:30 but Ed was tired. Apparently travelling by train exhausted him. Ayala was in the same boat and both wolf and human were grateful to find their room and collapse on the bed. Ed barely remembered to kick his boots off and shoot Chester a message and get the response before he fell asleep.

* * *

Edward was thankfully woken by Ayala with barely an hour to get himself ready before Mustang turned up to collect him. He showered, braided his hair and was dressed in record time. He even remembered his gloves this time. He contacted Chester to apologise for the lack of conversation and Chester assured him neither he nor Al were mad about it. Chester also send him some shopping requests from Winry and Ed told Chester to kindly tell Winry that unless she had a way to get him more money right away, she wasn't getting shit. Chester laughed and promised to pass the message along. Ed knew Chester would just word it nicer and he knew he'd be grateful for that later. There was a good reason most people don't get him up in the morning unless there was an emergency.

He headed for the inclusive breakfast the lady had mentioned when he checked in and was elated to find an excellent coffee machine waiting for him. Caffeinated and fed, he headed for the lobby so Mustang could find him. He was alerted to their arrival by Nala helpfully giving him a heads up. Ed and Ayala were sprawled comfortably on the waiting lounge in the lobby when Mustang found them. Torn between amusement at their lack of fucks to give and annoyance at how they treated things that didn't belong to them, he tapped Ed on his shoulder, dragging his attention away from the newspaper he was reading. Looking up and seeing Mustang, he nudged Ayala and both hopped off the couch.

"Are you ready to go?" Mustang asked while Ed stretched and Ayala shook herself to get themselves ready for the day.

"Yup. We've already eaten and whatnot. Lead the way," he said, pointedly looking between the door and Mustang. Mustang got the hint fairly quickly. Nala shared her amusement with Ed and Ayala.

"Do you remember everyone on the team?" Mustang asked Ed. He thought for a moment.

"Pretty sure I do. There's Hawkeye and Soren, Havoc and Mark, Fuery and Kara, Breda and Dubuffet and Falman and Rachel," he rattled off names and Mustang had to admit he wished he had the kids memory when it came to people and their Animals. He sometimes had to rely on Nala's memory.

"Yup, that's all of them. Have you figured out what you're gonna do today?" Mustang wanted to know purely so he knew where the kid was.

"Yeah, there's some shops I saw that I wanna check out. Might look through some bookstores to see what they've got," he said offhandedly while he focused on where they were going so he could find his way back. Mustang nodded his approval, not that Ed really cared, and they continued in silence, arriving at the base quicker than Ed thought they would.

Passing through the gates and the guards, Mustang led the way to his office. Ed was proud to say he almost remembered the way himself. All of Mustangs team was there and judging by their lack of surprise at the late-ish hour, this was a regular occurrence. Judging by Mustang's reaction, having the male team members surround someone they'd met once was not. Havoc, Breda and Fuery all came over and started chatting to Ed enthusiastically while Falman seemed happier to just for an opportunity to speak. Ed couldn't understand any of them, all of their voices were melding together. Ayala and Hawkeye appeared to have reached their limit at the same time. Ayala snapped and snarled loudly while Hawkeye cocked her gun. Both were noises that humans had evolved to be wary of. Ed laid a calming hand on Ayala's head while sending her a silent thank you and let Hawkeye talk.

"I'm sure you boys have plenty of work to be doing." Mustang barely hid an amused smile. Not good enough to avoid Hawkeye's gaze though. "I know for a fact there's plenty of paperwork waiting on your desk, Sir." Mustang's expression fell. Edward snickered. Mustang shot him a dirty look before Hawkeye's gun and stare made him head for the relative safety of his inner office, Nala trailing behind. Another pointed look at the remaining members of her team had the men moving back to their work. Ed headed for the spare seat he'd claimed in his previous visit and felt everyone stare at him. After a few minutes of this, Hawkeye sighed loudly and put her pen down. Soren ruffled his feathers, sensing her annoyance at the lack of work. Everyone looked at her in surprise, including the Animals.

"Edward, if you would be so kind as to tell us how you went, I'd appreciate it. It seems no work will be done until that happens." Edward obliged her request. He was just killing time until he was sure the shops would be open and he figured that they wouldn't get to work even if he left.

He started with the first exam, Havoc hi-fiving him for beating Mustangs record and Hawkeye giving Havoc a death glare for disrupting. He was met with looks of disbelief when he described his fighting and told them they were welcome to watch him and Al spar sometime. All the men immediately accepted the invite. It was Hawkeye and Falman who had the biggest reactions to him describing his alchemy test.

"You can perform alchemy without a physical circle?" Hawkeye asked disbelievingly. Havoc, Breda and Fuery who, up until that point didn't realise why Ed's talent was so unique, finally figured it out and looked gobsmacked.

"Yeah. I use an array still. It's just it's in my head. Gives me the edge in a fight. Takes less time and you don't know what I'm going to do," Ed explained, not liking the attention on his abilities. Fuery was the first to speak.

"That is so cool! Can you do any array like that or is it just a particular one, like the Colonel?" He asked, enthusiastically. Ed grinned at him.

"I can do all sorts of alchemy. I don't have a specialty like Mustang. If they're really complicated and I haven't used them before, I'll draw them out like normal alchemists though. The rebound would be less severe if something goes wrong that way," Ed divulged. All of them looked impressed, Hawkeye looked glad to hear that last part.

"Can you show us? Colonel Mustang and Major Armstrong are the only alchemists we've seen in action on a regular basis. If you're gonna be a member of our team, we should know your style." Havoc sounded like a child who was trying to rationalise being shown a trick. Ed looked at Hawkeye, who gave her silent permission, then looked around for something he could transmute. Spotting some metal pipes that were sitting the corner, he turned back to group.

"Whose pipes?" He gestured to said pipes. Fuery claimed them, saying they were for an experiment he was trying. "Can I borrow one?" Fuery gave his blessing.

Nudging Ayala away from him, he grabbed one and brought it back to the desk where everyone could see it. Once he had their attention, he clapped his hands. The sound resonated and he placed his hands on the pipe. Alchemic energy danced across the pipe before it melted and moulded itself into the shape Ed wanted. A blade as long as his forearm appeared. Gripping the handle, he held it so the blunt edge of the weapon ran parallel to his forearm and raised it to show everyone. Once everyone had seen it, it laid it back on the table and transmuted it back to original shape for Fuery.

"Holy crap." Surprisingly, this came from Falman. "If the military don't admit you into the program than they're beyond stupid." Everyone nodded their agreement, still shocked by what they saw. Hawkeye was the first one to recover. Ed couldn't say he was surprised by that.

"Thank you for showing us, Edward." She graced him with a small but honest smile. Ed returned it.

"No problems. Hey, Miss Riza? Do you know what time most of the shops and bookstores open around here?" He asked. Hawkeye thought for a moment.

"I believe the vast majority are open by 8:30 or 9." Ed flashed her a grin. It was already past 9.

"Thanks, Miss Riza. I'll see you guys later!" Ed called as he and Ayala headed for the door. Hawkeye's voice brought him to a halt.

"Are you okay finding your way out?" She asked, slightly concerned with him getting lost. The base was pretty big after all. Ed gave her a reassuring look.

"I'll be fine. I'm pretty good at remembering paths I've taken and Ayala can always follow familiar scents if we do get lost. See ya!" With that, he and his wolf were gone and the door was shut. Everyone looked sad at him leaving. He was a good reason to escape work for a while and everyone liked him already. A familiar click was heard and everyone got back to their work. Hawkeye smiled gratefully for the day getting back to normal before reengaging the safety on her gun and holstering it once more.

* * *

Ed, true to his word, had successfully made it out of the building and off the base. They went slower so Ayala could get a proper sense of their surroundings. Neither boy nor wold noticed Mustang looking out his window, watching them leave. Mustang would vehemently deny to anyone who asked but he was worried about a 12-year-old being let loose in a major city he's never been too without someone familiar with area with him. Once the pair were out of his sight, he went straight back to his desk and wondered how many papers he'd get away with burning or hiding. Nala was quick to remind what happened the last time he tried either method. Mustang was quick to tell her to keep it to herself.

Hawkeye then had the audacity to bring even more work in and remind him he needed to get all of it done by the end of the week. Mustang wondered if he could still use Ed as a means to escape the paperwork. Nala informed him that while that would work until Ed went home, Mustang would still have all of this work plus even more waiting for him. This time Mustang simply pretended not to hear her, opting to start the torture so he could finish as soon as possible. Nala chuckled at him before curling up in her favourite spot on one of his couches.

* * *

After exploring every shop that caught his eye and going for lunch when his stomach threatened to eat itself and Ayala threatened to eat him, Ed found a fabric shop that looked promising. He needed material that was thick but not too thick. Something that was flashy so he could be easily spotted if he and Al got separated or something he could use to signal Al but not too flashy. It also had to be easily to transmute so he could fix it if it got torn and it had to be made out of a material that was strong enough for everyday wear and tear but would tear if it got caught on something if he was attacked.

After searching for ages, he finally found something he approved of. Once Ayala gave him her blessing, he bought enough to make two. He also bought a small roll of black fabric to put his Teachers symbol on the back of it. That would make it stand out more and also hopefully lessen her wrath when she found out he'd joined the military. He still held onto the slim hope that he could find the Stone and discharge from the military before Teacher ever found out he joined in the first place. Happy with his purchase, he thanked the checkout lady and decided to head back to his room so he could make the final piece of his outfit.

He could check out bookstores afterwards. Lots of shop assistants had given him instructions to ones that were supposedly good. He smiled at the lady manning the check in desk and made his way up to his level. Fishing his key out, he let himself and Ayala into the room and shut the door behind him. Laying out his newly purchased material, he considered how he wanted it to look and clapped his hands once he made his decision. The energy flared and disappeared before he completed the second part of the design. Once that second lot of light dissipated, Ed stood back to admire his handiwork.

The blood red jacket came to his knees and covered his arms so that only his gloves showed. It didn't have a zip or buttons but he didn't want them in case he had to get out of it quickly. The fabric would keep him warm but was breathable so he wouldn't overheat in summer. The flamel Teacher wore was on the back and was big enough to take up the whole of his back. Ayala was pleased with design as well, even if the colour was very bright. Ed quickly made his spare one and left it on his bed. Pulling the final part of his outfit on, he headed out with Ayala to find the bookstores he'd been directed too.

* * *

Mustang, like always, was ecstatic when 6:00pm rolled around. He pulled his black military coat on and headed for the door with Nala on his heels. He was thankful to see his outer office empty. Everyone else cleared out by 5:30. Lucky bastards. Making his way out to the grounds and then freedom, he contemplated what he should do with Ed tomorrow. Should he have the boy accompany him in like this morning or leave him to his own devices until he hears from the higher ups? If Ed went in with him, he'd have a good reason for sleeping in like he did this morning. However, according to Hawkeye, nobody except her and Falman had been able to get their work completely done. Everyone else was too busy chatting about Edward. He still hadn't quite decided when he reached the hotel the eldest Elric was staying at. Unperturbed, he made his way to the front desk so he could get Ed's room number. He didn't memorise it the night before. Nala shook her head at him.

"Excuse me, Miss? Would you mind telling me what room number Edward Elric is staying?" He asked the lovely lady who was seated behind the desk. She smiled at him and checked the guest book.

"Mister Elric is staying in room 305. I'm not sure if he's in yet or not. He left after lunch today and I haven't noticed him come back yet," the clerk, Mandy, warned him. He thanked her and headed for Ed's assigned room. Knocking on the door and receiving no answer after a couple of minutes, he concluded that the lovely Mandy was correct in her assumption that the blonde hadn't gotten back. Heading back down, he was ready to leave a message for Ed with Mandy and possibly get her number when the aforementioned alchemist walked through the front doors, a takeout bag in one hand and some books under the other. He was chatting to Ayala when he noticed Mustang standing there.

 _"Nice jacket,"_ Nala said, grinning at him. He grinned back and sent a silent thanks.

"Oh hey, Mustang. We weren't supposed to meet up tonight, right?" He couldn't remember them discussing a meet up but that didn't mean much.

"No, I was just wanting to tell you that you don't need to come into the office tomorrow. Do whatever you want around town but stick to the same area as today. And what are you wearing?" The red coat had caught Mustangs eye (honestly, how could it not?) and he couldn't ignore it anymore.

"I needed a jacket so I found the right material and made one. It's cool, huh?" Ed grinned and Mustang caught the design on the back reflected in the glass doors of the hotel.

"What is that on the back?" Ed didn't miss the fact he never answered his question.

"Teacher's symbol. As her student, it's my right to wear it. Also I'm hoping that it will soothe her anger enough that she'll only hurt me instead of outright killing me when she finds out I've enlisted." Mustang was kinda concerned with Ed's attitude towards the whole prospect.

"You realise that colour is going to make you stick out?" He wanted to make that clear and to know the reason behind the choice. Ed looked at him like he was an idiot.

"Duh. That's the whole point," he said it like it was obvious. Mustang must've looked confused because he put him out of misery. "If Al and I get separated, I want him to be able to find me as easily as I can find him," he said before frowning at Mustang's stunned look. "What? You didn't realise a giant suit of armour would stick out as well?" He pointed out. It finally clicked for Mustang. Al was going to stick out no matter what so Edward wore the red so Al wouldn't be as out of place. Mustang also realised the red jacket would come in handy when he needed to find Edward for any reason. Not that he pointed this out to Ed.

"Fair enough. Hopefully, we'll have your results by tomorrow or the next morning at the latest. All we're really waiting for is your blood results to come in." Ed nodded. Hopefully he'd be home within the next couple of days. He couldn't wait to get back to his brother. He didn't like being separated from him for so long. Being able to talk directly to Chester helped but not enough. "Good night, Edward. Ayala," he bade them as he headed for the door.

"See ya, Mustang. Bye, Nala!" Edward said before he and Ayala headed back to their room and devouring their dinner before diving into the new books Ed had bought.

 **A/N- Here's the revised chapter 10 for everyone. I've realised that the amount of chapters left in AMA3 before it's conclusion and the amount of chapters left to replace in Spirit Animals are different so I will be upping the frequency of the chapter replacements in Spirit Animals so that when I do post the last chapter of AMA3, I'll also be posting chapter 26 of Spirit Animals and getting the story continued. Let me know what you think to the new chapter. See you all next week!**


	11. Chapter 11

The next morning came and went without any visits from the colonel or his lioness. Ayala and Edward took full advantage of their almost free reign over the city. Ed may have had limited funds but he soon found out quite a few store owners were willing to barter their goods for help in fixing things around their business. He even managed to get Winry some stuff she was after, something he sincerely hoped would make her far more accepting about the military thing. Though she wasn't sulking or angry anymore, Ed still knew that she was harbouring a secret hope he wouldn't be accepted. Ed was fairly certain the only reason she didn't hurt him outright when he announced his plans was because he was already so injured and after he got the automail it was because he was already pushing himself beyond any reasonable limits and Winry didn't want to be the cause of his limits breaking.

However, he knew Al was telling Winry about how he was going and that he felt like his chances were very good at being accepted. Even though she'd stopped trying to talk him out of his decision after her sixth or so attempt caused him to snap at her, reminding her that she was _not_ his mother and had no say over how he lived his life, he knew she still had to bite her tongue whenever the topic was brought up. So he hoped that pairing the news that he'd been accepted into the State Alchemy program with the shiny new automail tools would be enough to stop her from yelling, crying or both. Though Ayala agreed this was the safest and least painful route to take, she still teased Ed about it. Ed refused to react to her teasing, depriving her of that satisfaction.

It was after lunch that Ed was stopped in the middle of the footpath by a random soldier. Well, in all honesty, it was Ayala who noticed the random soldier and immediately took up a protective stance in front her thoroughly confused human. The soldier, luckily for him, realised her intentions and stopped a good distance from the blonde boy wearing a red coat. Ed seemed to realise what the soldier was doing here and had Ayala stand down so the man could approach. She did but sent the man a snarl. It didn't hurt to remind for them to be wary of her. It made it clear her boy was not to be messed with. Ed rolled his eyes at her antics but was secretly touched by her protectiveness.

"Edward Elric?" Ed nodded so the soldier continued. "Colonel Mustang has requested that you go to his office immediately," the soldier passed along. Ed frowned. If Mustang was asking him to his office than it meant his results were in! Ayala made the same realisation at the same time and grinned at him.

"Thank you, er, sorry, what was your name?" Ed asked the soldier who, in turn, looked surprised at the question. A bird swooped down and landed on said soldier's shoulder. Ed made the educated guess that this was his Animal.

"Captain Aaron Wilson." The poor bloke sounded honestly surprised that Ed had bothered to ask his name. Ed locked his face and name into his brain for future uses.

"Well, thanks, Captain Wilson. Can you point me in the direction of the base? I kinda got turned around," he grinned sheepishly. Wilson looked more than happy to help, even offering to escort Ed back, something Ed was reluctant to accept until Wilson assured him he was headed back that way anyway. They walked in silence for a while before Wilson broke the silence.

"I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce my Animal. This is Bronwyn. She's a Grass Parrot." Bronwyn chirped in Ed's direction.

"Hi, Bronwyn! This is Ayala. She's an arctic wolf." Ayala nodded in their direction. "She is also sorry for trying to bail you up like that before." While Ed didn't like apologising for anything he did, much to his brother's amusement and chagrin, he did apologise on Ayala's behalf whenever required because he didn't like people thinking bad things about her. Wilson waved off the apology.

"There's no need for it. I didn't realise how I came across until Bron pointed it out. I should be the one apologising, Ayala. I'm sorry for making you think I was going to harm your human," Wilson solemnly said. Ayala huffed before giving Ed her response.

 _"I don't apologise, by the way. Also, tell him that he doesn't need to apologise either."_ Ed smirked at the first part but dutifully passed along the second part. Wilson smiled and they continued their walk in silence.

Ed was starting to recognise his surroundings now and knew they were close to the base. Once through the main gate and Ed had assured Wilson he knew his way, they parted with a shake of the hands and Ed and Ayala headed for the Colonel's office. They took their time. Ed would claim it was so he and Ayala were definitely sure of their surroundings and any smells there were. Ayala knew it was because Ed wanted to irk the Colonel, who'd undoubtedly been tipped off by Nala as soon as they'd arrived. That was the downside to being able to talk to all Animals, Ed had found. It was like the Animal received an alert or something in their brain when he was within range, so long as he had already talked to them. He and Ayala finally made it up to Mustang's office nearly half an hour after he came into Nala's range. He didn't bother knocking since he knew they were expecting him and he was proven correct when no one said anything aside from greetings. He wondered why it was so quiet and realised that Havoc and Breda as well as their Animals weren't in the room.

"Hello, Edward," Hawkeye greeted him. Soren gave a soft hoot as his own greeting. Ed smiled at them. He offered Fuery and Falman a wave and smile each but turned his attention back to Hawkeye.

"Hello, Miss Riza," Ed said back. Soren ruffled his feathers. "Hello, Soren. Where's Havoc and Breda?" He asked while Ayala seemed to engage Soren in a conversation. Either that or she was debating owl for lunch.

"Havoc and Breda have been sent to collect lunch since neither of them could focus on something other than throwing paper balls at each other." Hawkeye sounded exasperated and slightly amused. "So they got sent out of the office so we could get some work done with minimal distractions." Edward grinned at the mental image. "You're welcome to head into the Colonel's office. Don't mind him if he's in a testy mood though. I discovered his hiding spot for his paperwork and am making him do it." Edward had to admit that he admired Mustang's persistence to avoid his paperwork. He also suspected Mustang had a death wish of sorts if he was risking Hawkeye's wrath over avoiding paperwork. He may have only met the woman three times but he realised fairly quickly that she was really the one in charge around here.

"Thank you, Miss Riza." Him using manners may be as rare as Winry admitting alchemy was better than automail but he did use them with people he didn't want to ever see angry and Hawkeye was definitely someone he decided he didn't want to see angry after he first met her. He suspected angry Hawkeye would be on level with Teacher on a good day.

Using his left hand to give Ayala a nudge towards the door since she was too busy chatting to Soren to have been paying attention to either Hawkeye or Edward. Upon entering the inner office, Ed was immediately met with the sight of Mustang's desk covered in paperwork to the point where Ed only knew Mustang was still there because he could hear him muttering and swearing profusely. Ed was pretty sure he learnt a few new words he could use. Nala looked the definition of relaxed on the couch, sprawled so she was taking up as much space as possible. Ed really did try not to laugh but he couldn't stifle his chuckle quite quick enough. He heard Mustang's pen stop its furious scribbling and saw his black hair peek over the mound of paperwork.

"How's it going, Mustang? 'Sup, Nala?" Edward asked lightly, walking around so he was in front of the desk where he could actually see Mustang's face. He was wearing a scowl instead of his usual smirk and looked like he had a headache. At Ed's question, his left eye twitched but he didn't show any other sign of annoyance. Ed was kinda disappointed. Nala grinned. She may be Mustang's Animal but she liked seeing him riled up.

 _"Not much, Ed. How'd you enjoy your freedom this morning?"_ Nala asked while Mustang was trying to resist the urge to set the paperwork on fire.

"Yeah, it was great. Most of the shopkeepers I met were happy to barter some stuff in exchange for me fixing random things around their shops. I got some stuff that Granny and Winry need that I couldn't afford before." He didn't bother with the mental connection, choosing to answer her out loud. He'd heard enough of Mustang's bragging about how intelligent he was while in Central so he decided he wanted to see if Mustang could figure out his talent without him or Nala telling him. Ed, Nala and Ayala were all curious as to how long it would take Mustang to become suspicious and how long after that, he would confront Ed. Ayala and Nala were of the opinion it would be sooner rather than later. Ed thought it take Hawkeye noticing and then mentioning something or Al letting something slip before Mustang even noticed. Ed looked back at Mustang. "So, what's up?" He asked curiously. Mustang held out his hand in answer and Ed saw a glint of silver as he stepped forward to take it. It was a pocket watch with the Amestrian Military symbol on it.

"This silver watch serves as proof of your state certification. This envelope," he held said envelope up, "contains your certificate of appointment. Huh, it would seem our Fuhrer is not without a certain sense of irony," he said with a hint of amusement. Ed looked up from Ayala who had been closely examining his new watch.

"Why's that?" Ed asked, reaching for the envelope so he could read its contents himself.

"Nothing. Congratulations. You've officially become a dog of the military," Mustang said with minimum enthusiasm as he handed the envelope over. Ed snorted and read the contents.

"By order of King Fuhrer Bradley, this document certifies that Edward Elric has been appointed to the post of State Alchemist and that he is hereby granted the title of Fullmetal Alchemist," Ed read out loud, mainly for Ayala's benefit. "'Fullmetal'?" He asked, confused. Ayala didn't seem to know either.

"That's right," Mustang nodded. "Along with their commission, State Alchemists also receive a cover name. An official name you will be known as. The Fullmetal Alchemist," Mustang explained. Ed made a small noise of understanding.

"I like it. It's nice and intimidating. I think it'll suit me just fine. What do you think?" He asked Ayala. Ayala mulled the name over in her head before turning her golden eyes on Ed.

 _"Edward Elric: The Fullmetal Alchemist. I think it has a nice ring to it,"_ she told him. He gave her a rare, soft smile and ruffled the fur between her ears. Mustang watched the small scene with something like nostalgia in his eyes. He remembered telling Nala his state title. He wasn't sure what Ayala said, obviously, but he doubted it was something as dramatic as Nala's rant about the military and it's lack of originality. Locking eyes with Nala, he knew she was remembering that moment too.

"So, what now?" Ed asked, straightening up so he was eye level with Mustang now. Ayala was also waiting expectantly for Mustangs answer. Leaning back in his chair, Mustang considered Ed for a moment.

"You'll need to fill out paperwork to complete your enlistment. Hawkeye will have it and can help you with any questions. Once that's done, ask Hawkeye to get you a ticket back to Resembool. You'll have one week to deal with anything you need to before you come back here," Mustang said. "As a State Alchemist, you're automatically given the rank of 'Major' which means that the only people you have to obey are people ranked Lieutenant Colonel or above. As a member of the military, you'll be assigned a dorm here, so don't worry about finding a place. I'll make sure there are two beds. It'll be yours until you either discharge from the military or you get a permanent place here or wherever I'm appointed. As your commanding officer, you'll be staying in whatever city I'm posted. As a State Alchemist, you'll get any train tickets for free so long as the destination is mission related. You'll have access to alchemy sections in any library and you'll have access to the State Alchemists Library. I'll make sure Al gets the same benefits. You can eat in the mess for free or you can pay for your own food. You'll be given a bank account where your pay will be deposited. Your watch will act as I.D for almost everything. Any questions?" He asked. Ed thought but he couldn't think of anything. Ayala couldn't either.

"Nope, don't think so," Edward said after a few moments. Mustang nodded.

"Good. You can head out to do your paperwork now. Have Havoc drive you to the train station. He'll avoid being shot by Hawkeye that way. I'll see you in a week's time, Fullmetal." Ed smirked at him.

"See ya, Mustang. Bye, Nala." He smiled at the lioness.

 _"Bye, Edward. Congrats on your appointment. I'll see you in a week,"_ she said.

"Thanks, see you then." He waved at her as he disappeared at the door with a flash of red, Ayala quick to follow. Mustang's brow furrowed slightly. There was something off about that exchange but he couldn't afford to dwell on it. He still had masses of paperwork to get through and Edward only guaranteed him an hour of Hawkeye not having him trained in her crosshairs. He shuddered at the thought and picked his pen up with a sigh and quickly forgot all about the weird feeling he got. Nala smirked inwardly and curled up to have a nap.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ed had made it into the outer office to discover Havoc and Breda had returned from their lunch run. Both men made to get up to greet him but a quick glance at Hawkeye made them settle for simply waving at him from their desks. He approached Hawkeye while Ayala went to investigate the other Animals since she didn't have a chance to last time.

"Hey Miss Riza, Mustang said you had some paperwork for me to fill out?" He asked her. She nodded and gestured for him to take the seat next to her, which he did, before handing him a small stack of paper and a pen. Ed started leafing through it to see what he needed to do.

"Thanks. I apologise in advance for my handwriting." He grinned at her before picking up the pen and diving in. Hawkeye smiled at him and continued with her own work. The office was quiet aside from the sounds of pens on paper, paper being moved about and various Animals moving around. He was a quarter of the way through when he remembered the rest of Mustangs instructions. "Oh! Miss Riza, could you get me a ticket to Resembool please?"

"Of course. How long will you be gone for? I'll book your return ticket at the same time. Who's driving you?" Ed didn't really bother wondering how she knew he was being driven.

"Thanks. I'll be gone for a week. Mustang told me to ask Havoc to take me," Ed told her. She nodded and picked up the phone next to her. Ed turned back to his paperwork, tuning her out. A tap on his shoulders only a couple of minutes later nearly made him jump.

"You're booked in for this afternoons train. It'll leave here at 3:00pm so you'll need to hurry and finish. You'll get your return ticket at the Resembool station." Thanking her, he turned to his paperwork again.

It was rather boring and he could see why Mustang constantly tried to evade his. He couldn't imagine sitting behind a desk for hours on end signing endless forms and requests. He was glad he didn't have to. He only needed Hawkeye's help with a couple of things he didn't understand and by the time the clock read 1:30pm, he was finished. Hawkeye noticed and took the pen back and rifled through the papers, checking they were completed and in order. Satisfied, she plopped them down so she could deal with them later.

"Good job, Ed. Have a safe trip back to Resembool and we'll see you in a week's time." She offered him a smile, which he returned.

Sometime while he was working, she and Havoc must've spoken because Havoc was standing and waiting for Ed near the door. Ed wasn't surprised he missed the conversation. Al always said that he had a habit of focusing completely on the task in front of him, ignoring anything and everything that wasn't to do with said task. Giving everyone a small wave goodbye, he and Ayala followed Havoc and Mark out to where the car was. The trip to the hotel was quicker than Ed expected and he and Ayala packed all of their stuff in record time, ensuring nothing was left behind at all.

Havoc pointed out that there was still an hour to go until he had to catch the train and asked if he wanted to stop somewhere to get snacks or something to take with. Not ones to turn down any offer of food, Ed and Ayala raided the bakery Havoc drove them to with the assurance that they made the best apple turnovers in the country. Arms loaded with pastries, Havoc was left to carry Ed's suitcase for him to the ticket counter and onto the actual train. After stowing it away, Havoc turned to watch Ed unburden himself.

"You got everything?" He asked, making Ed snap his attention to him.

"Yup, pretty sure I do," he said after a moment of thinking.

"Good." Havoc nodded. "We'll see you in a week. Have a good trip." Ed grinned at him.

"I have plenty of books; I'll be fine. See you in a week." Havoc offered him a smile and a wave before he headed off the carriage and out into the crowd to rejoin Mark, who had wisely decided to stay in the car to avoid being trampled. Ed watched him leave before turning to Ayala.

"I should probably tell Al that I'm coming home, eh?" He asked casually as he made himself comfortable on the bench seat, waiting for the train to leave the station. Ayala looked at him with an expression that said something like 'no shit'. Ed took that as a 'yes'.

"Hey, Chester. Let Al know that Ayala and I are on our way back to Resembool now. We should be in the station in a few hours." He felt Chester receive the message and the happiness and excitement he felt at having them coming home. Ed let himself smile at that. It was nice knowing that he was as missed by his brother and Chester as he missed them.

 _"Al says that's great and that he and I'll meet you at the station. He also wants to know if this means you were accepted as a State Alchemist?"_ Chester sent back almost immediately.

"Yup. I'll tell you both all about it once we're at Granny's. I don't feel like telling the story 50 times over," Ed informed him, preventing any demands for details. He heard Chester grumble about it and laughed at him. "You'll find out soon enough so stop your muttering."

 _"Rude. Anyway, Al's just asked me if you'd killed Mustang before you left."_ Ayala and Ed snorted.

"Nah that would be like shooting myself in the foot," Ed said with a snort. "We agreed to help each other and he's told me that he'll be able to send me on missions that could help our goal so killing him is something I'd do if he really pissed me off." Chester could see the wisdom in that. Al was less impressed with the logic.

 _"Al has told me that you are not allowed to murder Mustang under any circumstances,"_ Chester dutifully passed along.

"Tell Al he's a killjoy." Chester did so and Al wasn't that fazed by the insult, much to Ed's chagrin. The conductor finally announced that they were ready to leave so Ed let Chester know and wrapped up their conversation so that Chester and Al could tell Granny and Winry. The train finally pulled away from East City station and Ayala and Ed prepared themselves for the trip back home to Al and Chester.

* * *

The hours blurred together in a sugar and knowledge filled haze. By the time the train pulled into Resembool station, Ed and Ayala were regretting buying out the bakery and had been finished reading every book Ed had in his suitcase. Even though he'd promised, Ed was still slightly surprised when he spotted his brother and Chester waiting patiently on one of the benches. Not even waiting for the train to come to a complete stop, Ed and Ayala jumped up, secured their suitcase and rubbish and headed for the door closest to Al and Chester. Once free from the carriage, Ed dumped the rubbish and beelined for his brother, Ayala just as eager. Al spotted them before Ed could call any sort of greeting.

"Brother!" He shouted as he rushed towards the older blonde and enveloped him in a hug, remembering at the last second to be gentle so he didn't squeeze the life out of him.

"It's good to see you too, Al," Ed laughed, patting Al on the back with his free hand. Al couldn't feel it but he heard the noise and knew what his brother was doing. Al finally pulled away from Ed so that the boy could breathe again. Ayala and Chester had just finished greeting each other when the boys stopped their hug. Ed ruffled the fur between Chester's ear affectionately. "Hey, Chester. It's good to see you too." Ed smiled at the big cat while Al mimicked his brother as best he could with Ayala.

"I hope you weren't forced to pull him back into line too often, Ayala," the young Elric half-joked. Ayala gave him a look that told him otherwise. "You'll have to tell Chester what Brother left out of his reports so he can tell me, okay?" Ed glared at them both. Ayala nodded and grinned in amusement at Ed's muttered 'traitor' while Al did his best not to chuckle. Ed decided a distraction was in order. He grabbed his suitcase and walked backwards towards the exit.

"How about we head back to Granny's? I'm sure those two have plenty of questions or lectures for me," he pointed out, implying that keeping the two Rockbell women waiting more than necessary wasn't a brilliant idea.

Al got the message and he and the Animals caught up to Ed as quickly as possible. Ed turned around with a grin. The walk back was mainly small talk with Al filling Ed in on every little thing that happened in the week he was gone. The Chases' had their third child and only son, the Pritchard's cattle were sick for some reason, three children gained their Animals. Ed listened, grateful to be back in his small hometown, relishing in the fact that, aside from Al's voice and his and the Animals breathing, all he could hear were crickets and the occasional animal. He was happy to be able to look up and see all the stars instead of streetlights and car lights. He knew that after this week, it would be a while before he got to see this again so he was gonna appreciate it while he could. Rockbell Automail finally came into view before long and Ed groaned internally at the sight of the lights on in the house. Even though he suspected they'd be awake, he'd really hoped he was wrong for once.

* * *

Ed walked through the front door using Al as a shield, even though he would deny that until he died, but it saved him from the onslaught of questions the two women immediately started asking him. Al was torn between saving his brother and laughing his arse off. Letting him endure it for a few moments longer, Al finally helped him out by pointing out the fact that Ed couldn't answer any questions if he couldn't understand them. Winry shot Al a dirty look but he shrugged it off. He did have a point. Having seniority and because she wanted to get straight to the point, Granny asked the first question.

"So?" In hindsight, Ed should've expected such a question from Granny. She wasn't a woman of many words and liked keeping questions as simple and broad as possible so she'd get more information out of her target. Ed sat at the table and the two youngest members of the household followed suit. Ayala and Chester curled up at their respective humans feet while Den was sprawled on his back with his feet in the air. He looked comfortable.

"Okay. I'm officially enlisted and everything. I have permission from Mustang for Al to accompany me on missions as I am technically his legal guardian and have sworn up and down that he can defend himself. It's up to him if he wants to stay here with you guys or go with me. The contract I signed has me enlisted until I'm 18. Once it's done I can either re-enlist or discharge. As a State Alchemist, Ayala and I get all sorts of benefits and the pay isn't bad either so I'll be able to pay you guys for my automail and any repairs or maintenance needed down the track. Mustang has agreed to send me on missions to places that have leads on the stone when he can. In exchange for that, I've promised to do missions that have nothing to do with the stone without complaint. Does that cover everything?" He barely even took a breath until now. Ayala was kinda impressed. Granny thought for a moment.

"When do you go back?" Ed was surprised he'd even forgotten to mention that little titbit during his mini speech.

"A week from now. Resembool station has my ticket. I'll need to pick it up so I know when exactly." Ed didn't miss the look that crossed the girls' faces. He'd known that him joining the military wouldn't change their views on it. He didn't like the military either and joining it hadn't changed his mind. It was the only option he had to right his wrongs though and he refused to let the slightly betrayed looks he knew he'd get change his mind. He was doing this for Al and they all knew it.

"Only a week?" Winry's small voice asked. From the look she was giving him, she obviously didn't think a week was long enough.

"Yup. I have a week to sort out any business I have here and then I report back to Mustang." Ed's voice told them that he didn't like it either but that he didn't want to hear any whinging from them. They sat in silence for a moment before Granny heaved herself to her feet.

"Right. That's enough chatter for one night. You lot need to sleep. We'll talk more about this in the morning. Ed, you're in your usual room." Her voice left no room for arguments so they didn't bother.

They trudged up the stairs and after bidding each good night, disappeared into their own rooms. Ed tossed his suitcase on the floor, intending on dealing with it tomorrow before he collapsed on his bed. Nothing felt remotely as good as his own mattress in that moment. Ayala joined him after a moment of waiting and Al waited for them to settle before switching off the light and sitting next to Chester's bed for the night. Ed curled up around Ayala and was ready to fall asleep at any moment when he heard Al's voice.

"I really missed you, Brother," he whispered in the darkness.

"I missed you too, Al. Wasn't the same without you," he whispered back truthfully. He heard Al shift a little before he spoke again.

"I don't want to be separated from you like that again. I'm going with you when you leave." He certainly sounded like he'd made his mind up.

Though Ed had told him before he left that he would make it so that Al and Chester were to be allowed with him on missions and he'd now gotten that permission, Ed still wasn't planning on taking Al everywhere with him unless his little brother wanted to go. He had no idea what kinds of missions he'd be going on but he knew he wouldn't want Al to see some of them. The military wasn't exactly known for its peace-keeping missions, after all.

There wasn't really any other reason Ed could use to try and convince Al and Chester to stay in East City while he was on missions. Al couldn't be physically hurt and though Chester could, he could be hurt anywhere so that argument wouldn't fly. Ed also knew he had a better chance of keeping the military from finding out about Al's condition if he was by his side at all times than he would by having Al stay in Resembool or East City. The only feasible reason Ed could think of to have Al not join him on missions was so he didn't have to face the bitter disappointment they would when they reached a town to investigate a lead only for it not to pan out.

Ed wasn't naïve. He knew that the chances of them finding a stone right away was non-existent. That would only happen if they were in a fairy tale and they definitely weren't. But he didn't think it was fair on Al to have to face that disappointment every time it happened. Ed also knew that Alphonse would miss Winry and Granny terribly. He'd only lasted so long under Teacher's tutelage because they knew they'd be allowed to leave her home once they were competent enough for Teacher to let them fend for themselves. The only reason they left before Teacher broached the subject was because Al had wanted to in Resembool for his 10th birthday. Ed was prepared to make any sacrifice for his brother for his brother but he wouldn't ask Al to do the same. His younger brother had already given far more than was fair, in Ed's opinion.

"I don't want to be separated from you either but wouldn't you be happier here? It's not going to be easy with all the travelling we'd have to do and things we'd be forced to see." That was something else he'd thought about while on the train ride home. He was prepared to actually forbid Al from coming with him but Ayala had talked him out of it, pointing out the fact that Al would not listen anyway and then telling him to let him make up his own mind. She'd also brought up the point that Al had probably thought about all this too.

"I know, Brother. I know that it might not be easy to endure and that I'd probably be happier here but I've thought about and talked about it with Chester. I don't want you to go through that sort of stuff alone and neither does Chester. We're going with you." Ed couldn't help but smile at the similarities between his and Granny's 'no argument' tones. He still felt like he shouldn't be letting him but he knew that he couldn't stop him, even if he wanted too.

 _"Edward, trust me when I say this, but we have talked about this at length. Both of us want to go with you and Ayala. We want to help you and be there with you so you don't have to go through any of it by yourselves. We know that we're putting ourselves in danger and what we could possibly face. Believe me when I say that Pinako and Den have given us a thorough description of the rumours of missions she's heard about military missions. We don't want you and Ayala to suffer through that with no one having your backs."_ Ed listened to Chester speak and realised that they had definitely thought this decision through. He couldn't have been any more relieved than he was right now.

"Okay," he spoke to both of them, "you win." Any reservations he had about them tagging along had disappeared after Chester had spoken.

"Good. Now get some sleep, brother. I'm sure Winry will be attacking you in the morning to make sure you didn't damage your automail." Al laughed at Ed's dramatic groan and unflattering descriptions of Winry that were muttered under his breath. It didn't take long for him to hear Ed's breathing even out, indicating that he was now fast asleep. Al shifted so he was seated more securely and settled to wait for his brother to wake up.

* * *

Al, much to Ed's disgust, was correct in the assumption he'd made the night before. Winry did indeed confront Ed the next morning during breakfast and demanded that he allow her to do a maintenance check on his automail. After much arguing about that fact that he was only gone for a few days and the only potentially damaging thing he'd done was the practical test where he showed off his fighting skills, he finally relented and let the obsessive mechanic look them over. Grinning happily at either the win or Ed's misery (Ed was sure it was both), she ran her tests. It only took an hour, which was half the time it took for him to let her run said tests, before he was set loose with a clean mechanical bill of health.

Mutterings about how Winry needed to loosen up and stop obsessing over automail and trusting him a bit more were met with a wrench, a sore head and a lot of cuss words. Al decided a trip to Resembool to pick up Ed's ticket to East City and purchase one of his own was in order before Winry or Ed ended up dead at the other's hands. The trip into town was more than long enough for Ed to get his temper in check. Al hoped it was the same for Winry. Two tickets later, they were headed back to Granny's when Ed said something that Al hadn't expected.

"We should go back to the house." Those seven words made Al, Chester and Ayala stop in their tracks. Ed stopped to but more in response to them than what he said.

"Why? We haven't been there except for when we really needed something," Al pointed out. It was like an unspoken agreement between the four of them. After what had happened, none of them were comfortable being in that house for long.

"I know. I went there before I applied to become a State Alchemist," Ed revealed before continuing over Al's surprised spluttering. "I'd been thinking about it since Mustang found and confronted us. Granny told us she'd cleaned the house the same night the rebound happened, yeah?" Ed asked and Al nodded, though Ed knew there would still be a comment made about him visiting the house by himself. "Well, how'd he know what we'd done if she'd gotten rid of all the evidence?" Ed asked and Al finally got what Ed was implying.

"If she'd gotten rid of all the evidence than Mustang shouldn't have been able to figure out exactly what we'd done. You went back to see what Granny had missed that had clued Mustang in on our actions," Al said and Ed nodded. Ed's theory made sense and judging from the look on his brother's face, Granny had missed something. "So, what did Mustang find?"

"Our notes were still scattered around and there was a faint outline of the array still etched on the floor," Ed said. "I think he knew that it had been activated and not just studied because my blood stained the floor and there was a lot of it." Ed had grown a little pale as he remembered what it felt like to look at the massive blood stains and realise they'd been made by him. Al shuddered as he recalled the memory of seeing all the blood before it had dried.

"What did you do?" Al asked, voice quiet and Ed shrugged.

"I erased the array so there's no sign of it now but I didn't touch anything else. We're going to have to do something about our notes," Ed said, not thrilled with the idea of going back into the basement. He just hoped that it wouldn't affect him as much now that he knew what to expect.

"Alright, Brother," Al said, clapping Ed lightly on the shoulder. "We can deal with the house later in the week. Why don't we head the cemetery before we go back to Granny's? You have to tell mum and Cleo about your inclusion to the State Alchemy program." Ed gave him a small smile.

"Sure, Al. We'll do that first."

* * *

They only made one stop on their way to the cemetery and that was so they could gather a bouquet of wildflowers each. Once they and their Animals were happy with how each bouquet looked, they continued on their journey. They walked into the cemetery and placed their flowers so they leant on the headstone before they took their seats in front of it. The second Ed had been able to after the failed transmutation, he and Ayala had booked it to the cemetery so that Ed could apologise profusely to his mother for what they'd tried to do and what they'd turned her into. That meeting had ended with Ed almost exhausted from his emotions and Ayala supporting his weight most of the way back to Granny's. He looked at the headstone in front of him and silently offered another apology for what they'd tried to do as they got themselves settled.

Al had talked first, catching their mum and Cleo up on everything that had happened since they'd last spoken to them before letting Ed take over when Al had finished telling them about watching the train with Ayala and Edward on it disappear as it headed to East City. Ed described the train journey in quick detail before moving on to describing Mustang and his team in much more detail. He told her about how overwhelming it was, being introduced to so many people and their Animals at one time before he told her about the deal he and Mustang had brokered before either of them would agree to Ed actually applying for the program.

Ed went on to describe what it was like waiting in the outer office while they waited until they could go to the train station then he described what happened on the actual train rife to Central and the consequential first meeting with Hughes. He told her a bit about the hotel he and Ayala camped in before he got into a detailed description of Central Command, including Ayala's comment, and the exams he took. He told her with no small amount of pride about the results he'd gotten for the written exam and the comments Nara and McNally had made about his practical exam.

He told her about meeting Gracia and Elysia Hughes for the first time and the dinner they'd had and promised her that he'd been on his best behaviour, ignoring Ayala, Chester and Alphonse's giggles. The next thing he told her about was his final exam, what he'd done for it and what Ayala had banned him from doing, which Al punched his shoulder for even thinking of doing. Ed had scowled and stuck his tongue out at his brother before telling Trisha and Cleo about the rest of his trip in Central and the return to East City. He wrapped his tale with his acceptance into the State Alchemy program, his new title and Chester and Al's decision to come along with him. They stayed in silence for a couple of minutes before the brothers promised to visit before they left for East City, said their goodbyes and headed back for the Rockbells.

* * *

Though the walk back wasn't as subdued as it normally was after a visit to their mum, it was just as quiet. Ayala and Chester took the opportunity presented to run rampant through the flower-filled fields, chasing each other and whatever poor critter they found. Chester cheated, in Ed and Ayala's opinions, when he chose to use trees to escape from Ayala. Alphonse and Chester didn't see the big deal but then Ed and Ayala chose not to see the big deal when Ayala sat on Chester and refused to let him up.

Winry met them when they walked through the front door, rant ready on her lips when she demanded to know where they'd been for the last few hours when Al told her they'd visited their mother. Winry's whole body deflated and she shifted a little wrongfooted as Al waved off her meek apology. Ed rolled his eyes at her behaviour while Granny just told Ed, Ayala and Chester to eat their lunch before she gave it to Den, thoroughly unfazed by the fact they'd taken so long. Once finished, Ed once again found himself being questioned. This time though, Al was also being interrogated.

"So have you two decided what's going to happen with everything?" Granny asked. Winry had sat herself down in her usual spot, watching Al closely. Ed indicated for Al to answer.

"Yes. Chester and I are going with Brother and Ayala when they leave." Winry's face fell once Al answered. Ed and Al couldn't help the pang of guilt they both felt.

They knew they were her closest friends just like she was theirs and Al had had a sneaking suspicion that she'd hoped he'd chose to stay behind so she wouldn't be by herself like she was when they were in Dublith. While Ed was in Central and East City, she'd divulged to him how lonely she'd been with only Granny and Den for company. She'd still been going to school but she never really fit in there since the kids made fun of her for her love of automail. Granny had made the decision to pull her out a year before they'd returned, claiming she didn't see the point in making her go when it was clear what her trade was going to be and she wouldn't learn anything about it in school.

"What about your house?" Granny asked, pointedly ignoring Winry's crestfallen face. She refused to coddle the child when she was upset about something like this. Ed and Al exchanged a glance and this time Ed answered.

"We're not sure. We're going to visit it tomorrow and decide then," he said truthfully.

Ed truly wasn't what they would do with their childhood home. Their options were pretty limited; they could sell it or they could hire Winry and Granny to act as housekeepers for it but Ed didn't really want to do either. He didn't want to visit Granny and Winry and see strangers in his childhood home, especially after what had happened in there, but he didn't want it to sit there empty and collecting dust. He didn't want to see it standing tall on the hill his father had built it on, reminding him he had somewhere to run back to if things got too hard. But he needed Al's opinion before he decided anything. Even though he inherited the house by default, since he was the oldest, it was their home and he wouldn't do anything to it without Al's say so. Ayala could sense his thoughts and pressed herself against his right leg, her warmth reminding him he wasn't alone in this and he scratched her between the ears gratefully.

Granny seemed to accept his answer and moved on. "You mentioned last night that you'd be getting enough money to pay us for the automail and any future repairs or maintenance." Ed nodded even though it wasn't a question. "We stand by our original deal. This set of automail won't cost you a cent. Your brother has been helping us with repairs around the place and there'll be plenty for you to help with before you leave. However, any repairs or maintenance will cost you money in the future. Agreed?" Ed liked the fact that Granny gave people the illusion of a choice. He knew better than to argue with her so he agreed.

Satisfied, Granny settled back in her chair and settled her pipe between her teeth now that she was finished asking questions for a while. Winry excused herself, claiming the need to work on some orders she'd received, and headed up to her workstation. Al knew she was really going up there to distract herself from his decision. Both Elric boys loved Winry like a sister but they knew she was a little closer to Al than to Ed and the fact that he was following Ed into a military life instead of staying here when he had the choice was a bit of a blow to her.

Soon after Winry left, the boys drifted into the living room where Ed told Al about the benefits and things he'd receive as a State Alchemist and what Al could take advantage of. It took an hour or so for Al to squeeze every bit of information he wanted out of Ed, who by that time looked ready to either sleep or alchemically shut his younger brother up. As an apology, Al handed Ed a couple of books he had bought while he was away and was happy to see his bribe work as Ed and Ayala curled up together so they could devour the books contents. In no time, Granny was calling them all down to dinner. Winry showed up and was still looking sullen but at least she wasn't avoiding them like she had when Ed announced his decision to enlist. After dinner, they retired to their own rooms and soon the house was quiet as nearly all its occupants fell asleep.

* * *

The next morning, the boys left the Rockbells home shortly after breakfast and started trekking up the engraved path to their own house, not wanting to waste any more time. Even though they wanted to get this visit over a done with, they were in no rush to actually to the house and the Animals didn't bother commenting on it. Both Ayala and Chester naturally knew why the boys weren't racing to the house but they'd agreed to let them do things their way. No words were exchanged between the four of them and far too quickly for their liking, their house came into view.

Ed unlocked the front door and pushed it open to reveal the inside of the house. Dust swirled up lightly from the air currents caused by the movement and they stepped inside. Ed didn't feel anything but the barest hint of nerves but he knew from the last time he stood in this house that they likely wouldn't start in earnest until he was near the basement. This time, instead of looking in on rooms as they headed for the basement, Ed and Ayala investigated the whole house for signs of where Mustang had looked. Alphonse and Chester joined them on their search, staying silent the whole time.

"You don't have to come down there with me, Al. I can do this by myself," Ed offered once they reached the basement door. He knew what to expect and he knew Al knew what to expect thanks to Ed telling him what he saw but that didn't mean it would make it any easier. Ed only had to deal with the less traumatic events from that night. He didn't want to force Al into that basement to face what he'd been through but Al shook his head.

"No, Brother, I can handle it. I don't want you going back down there alone," Al said, still upset that Ed had put himself through the trauma of coming back into this room by himself.

"Alright, Al, but if you, Chester or Ayala need to leave before we're finished, don't feel ashamed. Just head back upstairs, okay?" Ed said and received three nods in return. Taking a deep, steadying breath, Ed opened the door up and pushed it open, switching on the light as he led the way down into the dark room.

He walked down the few stairs, shivering as the cool, damp air wrapped itself around him and the almost earthy scent of the basement filled his nostrils. A scent he hadn't noticed in his panicked state last time also made its way into his nose and he almost gagged when he realised it was the bloodstains he'd left behind that created the clinging coppery scent. Ayala and Chester made abnormal noises in their throats and Ed realised they were smelling the same thing, only in far more detail thanks to their superior noses.

Ed had a momentary panic when he looked at where the centre of the array had been, thinking that _thing_ they'd created was still there, rotting and decaying. He knew it was irrational since Granny had promised she'd dealt with it and Ed had seen with his own eyes not even two weeks ago that it wasn't there but that fear still pierced his heart momentarily. Once his heartbeat was down to a normal rhythm, Ed stepped off the last step and let the others join him in the basement properly.

There was no faint outline of the carefully drawn array, thanks to Ed dealing with it earlier, but the image of it sitting there was seared into their minds to the point where they could've redrawn it perfectly and in the exact same spot. Their notes and loose sheets of paper were still strewn about the place, as where Al's discarded clothing, with the exception of the shirt and jacket that had been utilised as bandages for Ed. Some planks of wood that created the floor and walls were torn up slightly and Ed could see slight cracks in the window, causing the sunlight permitted into the room to cause interesting patterns. He couldn't believe the window even survived the ordeal.

His eyes fell away from the window and were caught on the various bloodstains on the floor. He could see his movements from the time the array rebounded until the time Al woke up absorbed into the porous planks and almost gagged again. He tracked the bloodstains in an almost trance-like state, starting from the second largest stain caused by him losing his leg and following the streak marks along to where he checked on Chester after realising the leopard was still alive. He then followed the streak that left the small stain caused by him staying next to Chester for a few moments up to where he'd knocked the armour down to bind Al's soul to it. His eyes lingered on the largest bloodstain, the one created by his still bleeding leg and was added to by the wound on his shoulder once he'd collapsed after sacrificing his arm to bring Al back.

"Brother?" Al's voice caused him to tear his eyes away from that stain and up to the suit of armour looking down on him.

"Yeah, Al?" Ed asked, voice not as strong as he would've liked.

"I don't want to be here anymore," Al said and it was only then that Ed noticed that his brother's armour was trembling and his voice was shaking worse than Ed's. "I want to leave," Al said, pleading and Ed could feel both Animals agreeing with Al.

"So do I," Ed admitted. "Let's go back upstairs," he said and no sooner than he'd said the words did everyone hurry back up into the hallways and Ed shut the door behind them, like it would keep the memories at bay.

"I don't know about you, Brother, but I can't go back down there to clean up. I just can't," he said, almost apologetically.

"I don't think I could either. Not for long. Not even to pick up those papers," Ed said, ashamed of himself. Not only was he the older brother, able to do anything it took to keep Alphonse safe, but he'd already been in the basement before. It shouldn't have affected him so much the second time but he could feel his limbs trembling as he stood there in the hallway and he knew he'd never be able to work up the courage to go into that basement by himself. "Let's just head back to Granny's. we can figure something out along the way," Ed sighed, pushing himself off the wall and receiving murmurs of agreements from his companions.

"So what are we going to do?" Al asked, breaking the silence as they walked down their driveway. Ed sighed, not having a ready answer. He'd been thinking about it but short of the house disappearing, he didn't know what to do with it. They certainly couldn't leave it as is; not with all those papers and books they'd read for research lying around.

"We could ask Granny or Winry to clean it?" It wasn't even a real suggestion and both boys knew it but Al still answered anyway.

"No, it wouldn't be fair to them and Granny wouldn't be able to scrub out those bloodstains properly." Al was right, of course.

Even if Granny was physically able to do the vicious scrubbing it would require to get the blood even partially out of the grains of wood, they wouldn't have asked them. Ed certainly was never going to ask Winry to do it, refusing to consider the idea of putting someone he saw as his sister in that situation. Telling her what had happened that night had been more than Ed had wanted to do, knowing that Winry would likely have nightmares about it since she had nightmares sometimes about her parents' deaths.

Plus, there was the fact that those bloodstains wouldn't come out just by scrubbing them with bleach and water. Alchemy would be needed to remove them completely and neither Ed nor Al could go into the basement to perform the array. Ed told Al all of this and his younger brother agreed. Plus, there was the chance the women would miss something that could be used against them in the future and they didn't want to cause them to feel guilty if that happened.

So the four of them went back to thinking the problem over. Of course, Ed already had a solution in his mind but it was drastic and there would be no changing their minds once it was put into effect. However, after a few more minutes of silent walking and no one any closer to a feasible solution, Ed voiced his idea.

"We could burn it." Those four words hung in the air for a solid 10 seconds before anyone spoke again.

"But it's our home!" Al protested. Even Ayala and Chester were shocked by Ed's suggestion. "We can't burn our home to the ground!"

"I know it is but it's the only way we'd know for sure that every scrap of evidence would be gone for good," Ed pointed out. There was another reason he wanted it burnt to the ground but he wasn't gonna say it out loud. Al must've seen something cross his face because he soon asked.

"Is that the only reason, brother?" Ed's slightly guilty expression answered that question. "Don't lie to me, please." Ed sighed and hung his head slightly.

"I don't want it standing because I don't want to be tempted to come back if it gets too hard," Ed admitted. "I know that if it's still here, waiting for us to come home, it'll be harder for me to convince myself not to return. I don't want there to be any temptation for me to not stay and fight if things get really bad." He knew how it sounded. He knew that Al probably thought that Ed expected their search to not end how they want it too and he hated himself for that. He knew he'd fight tooth and nail to make sure that Al got his body back, that he got his chance to live a normal life again, just like he also knew that he needed to make sure there was absolutely no diversions from that path and the house standing here, ready for them to come back, was a diversion.

"I get it. Maybe burning it down would be for the best," Al said, causing Ed's head to shoot up in surprise as he watched his brother speak. "Neither of us can force ourselves to go in the basement and we won't ask the only people we trust completely to do it. It can't stand here in case someone gets too curious and can understand our notes. We could set up alchemy traps but there's always the chance someone could dodge or disarm them," Al pointed out rationally and Ed nodded along silently, having already thought of and dismissed the same ideas. "I'm on the same page as you. Even if no one broke in and investigated our notes, having it here reminding us of what our lives were like before is too much. I don't want to have you and I run ourselves into the ground, chasing down leads, knowing that we have a place we could run back too. I don't want that temptation to be there at all for either of us." Yet again, Ed could've thrown himself at his brother and given him a massive hug for the weight he'd just lifted off of Ed's shoulders. Knowing his brother felt the same way he did, understood Ed's reasons and didn't hate him for them was far more than Ed had dared to hope for.

 _"I think that you're both right. Maybe burning it down is for the best,"_ Chester piped up, speaking to both of them. _"Besides, neither of you could live in it happily again. Just being in there for that short amount of time before you went into the basement was wreaking havoc on your mind,"_ Chester pointed out.

 _"I completely agree with Chester. I don't ever want to sense that amount of turmoil going through your head ever again,"_ Ayala whispered to Edward. Ed felt something tug at his heart at those words. Sometimes he forgot that his Animal can sense his every emotion and Ed taken that into consideration when he'd entered the basement again the first time, let alone the second time.

"I think," Ed wet his lips before continuing, "I think we should get back to Granny's and think it over. If we can't think of a better solution, we'll burn it the night before we leave." That gave them four days left to figure something else out. Al hummed in agreement.

"What do we tell Granny and Winry when they ask?" Ed knew he really couldn't lie for shit and he knew that the girls knew it too.

"We tell them the truth. That we're not sure yet and that we need to think about it," he said simply. Al agreed and their walk back to the Rockbells continued on in silence.

* * *

The next four days passed quickly. Granny and Winry didn't push for a more definitive answer than the one Ed told Al to give them. It was like the women knew the boys had decided what to do but didn't want to know because they knew they wouldn't like the real answer. Every day, Ed and Al tried to think of another way but neither could. The Animals weren't able to think of anything either.

The day before Ed and Al were due to leave was filled with a heavy air for more reasons than one, even if the two women didn't fully understand the other reasons. Around mid-afternoon, Ed and Al left for their childhood home, accompanied only by Ayala and Chester. Al wanted to go back through the house, minus the basement, and see if there was anything he desperately wanted to keep. Ed had warned him that they could only take what would fit in their suitcase and Al had realised what Ed was saying. He could only grab things that were of the utmost importance to him.

Ed had stayed in the front doorway initially, not thinking of anything he wanted to save before he remembered a picture Granny had taken just before their mum had collapsed. He found it in its usual spot and carefully pulled it from its frame. He smiled a little as he recalled the memory. The Elric's and the Rockbell's had decided to go on a picnic on a rare day when Granny wasn't rushed off her feet and neither child had school. The boys had been off exploring when they found some flowers that were rare in the area but that's not why they had caught their attention. They were the exact shade of their mum's favourite colour. They'd grabbed a few each and raced each other back to the picnic site to be the first one to give them to her. They both got to her at the same time and collapsed on different sides of her, grinning wildly and presenting her with the pretty lilac wildflowers. Her eyes had widened in delight and her smile was nothing but pure happiness. That had been when Granny had snapped the photo.

Al had gathered a small collection of things before he made it back to his brother. Photo albums, his last birthday present from their mum, a toy that Winry and Granny had given him when he was born and a couple of other knick-knacks. Ed raised a brow at the collection but said nothing. He knew Al had realised that most of that stuff would need to stay at Granny's so he didn't bother commenting.

"Have you got everything you want to keep?" Ed asked quietly, though it sounded loud in the silent house.

"Yeah. You?" Al asked just as quietly.

"Yup." He lifted the box of matches. "You ready to do this?" Al caught the hidden warning. There was no going back once his brother lit the match. Al simply nodded, not trusting his voice.

Even though Al was completely on board with the decision, he still wished there could've been another solution. He watched as Ed went upstairs again and knew what his brother was going to do. The only way to ensure the house would burn full was for Ed to light multiple areas on fire. Al couldn't help but curse the fact that he couldn't cry as he and the Animals waited down near the front gate. He saw Ed head into the lounge room and watched as flames devoured the curtains their mother had lovingly sewn as Ed closed the front door and came to join him.

Ed and Al watched as the flames devoured their childhood home swiftly and both grieved for the memories they were destroying. They'd heard their mother telling them about all the hard work their father had put into building the perfect home for her and their future children and how proud he and Trisha had been when the last board had been nailed on. It had been the home they were always destined to inherit once their parents had passed, meant for one of them to use as their home to raise their own family in the future.

As they watched the flames reach extraordinary heights, embers glowing like red stars against the fading daylight left in the sky, they couldn't help but recall stories of their childhood. Al recalled the time Ed had tried running down the stairs, only to trip and break his arm while Ed recounted the time Al had pulled a prank on him and cracked his head open on the kitchen table as he tried to escape Ed's wrath. Neither voiced the memories only the house could remember, like when they took their first steps inside or when they first learned to transmute properly. Neither voiced the sadder memories, like the times Cleo had tried to play with them while their mother was on her death bed, nor watching Trisha and Cleo take their final breaths.

Both Animals felt a vicious joy from their humans when they thought of the basement being burned until it was rubble but neither commented on it. They watched as the place that had been their home only for a short while started collapsing in on itself as the weakened structure could no longer hold itself up. The four of them only moved when the heat got too much to bear and they only moved far enough away for it not to affect them anymore. The Animals felt the boys thinking the same thing, though neither said it out loud as they watched the flames dancing cheerfully as they turned the house into nothing but charred rubble. All four of them knew that that house had stopped being their home the moment they'd activated that array.

 **A/N - the revised chapter 11 for you all! I'll be posting chapter 12 immediately after this so I can try and get all the revised chapters up and posted by the time 'Welcome to Amestris, Agents' last chapter is posted.**


	12. Chapter 12

The four of them didn't leave the burned-out ruins of their childhood home until long after it had crumbled and the red-hot embers were only a faint glow, barely able to be seen amongst the charred remains of the structure. They waited only until they were sure the embers that remembered no longer proved to be a threat to the surrounding area before they turned their backs on the place, hopefully for the last time. They were a little surprised but ultimately grateful that none of their neighbours had seen the flames and come to investigate what was happening.

They knew it was late by the time the fire had burned itself out and they'd left the remains behind, around 1:00 or 2:00am at least. Alphonse felt a twinge of guilt for not thinking of letting Den know they'd be so late but they couldn't do anything except resign themselves to a lecture when they got back. Ed knew he'd probably get no sleep tonight, not with how early their train was but he figured he could just get some sleep while on the train. It'd be good practise for while they were on missions. Unbeknownst to him, Ayala and Chester were having the exact same thoughts.

The Rockbells' home finally came into view and the boys and Animals did their best to at least mentally prepare themselves for what they were about to walk into. Physically, there wasn't much Ed and Ayala could do to not look like they'd walked though the house as it burned to the ground. Ayala's normally glittering gold fur was darkened by smudged ash and Ed had, at some stage, rubbed a sooty hand over his face and accidentally left some of the ash behind. Chester's colouring meant any ash on him was camouflaged and the ash had merely blended into Al's armour.

Despite the front and hallway lights being on, the four snuck into the house as quietly as they could, just in case someone was sleeping at this hour. To their immense surprise, no one came out to greet them while Ed was kicking his boots off or as they made their way to the staircase, after they switched off the lights. Recognising the mercy they'd been shown when they made it all the way up to their room without someone yelling at them, Ed and the two Animals went into the bathroom to scrub the ash of themselves, much to Ayala and Chester's disgust. Al offered to help but Ed told him to get started on cleaning himself off since it was a bigger job.

Once they were freed from the bathroom and semi-dry, both Animals beelined for their beds and Ayala felt a vindictive pleasure knowing that Ed would have to sleep on a bed with a giant, wet patch that smelled like wet wolf. However, when he emerged from the bathroom himself, Ed just flopped down next to her and curled up, completely ignoring the wet patch. Al took pity on his older brother and offered to pack his suitcase for him and Ed groaned out a thank you. The older Elric had completely forgotten about the fact that he still needed to pack and felt a wash of gratitude flood over himself for the fact that his brother had remembered. Alphonse chuckled, knowing Ed had forgotten and told him to get some sleep before he woke him up so they could catch their train.

* * *

Ed tried to blink his gummy eyes open as he felt someone gently shaking his shoulder. He was so tired from the lack of sleep and emotional toll the previous day had cost that he could barely sit up and keep his eyes open, constantly blinking to rid himself of the phantom feeling of sand grains in his eyes. Alphonse had to almost literally haul him into the bathroom with instructions to get in the shower and clean clothes for him to change into before leaving him to his own devices. Ed's brain woke up almost immediately when he'd stepped under the too-cold spray, cursing quietly as he cranked the heat up to make it bearable.

Getting dressed had a challenge in and of itself, taking Ed a little longer than usual when he tried to put on his pants before he realised he was actually holding his black jacket. Once all items of clothing were being worn where they were meant to be, Ed left the bathroom and made his way into the kitchen, following the alluring scent of freshly brewed coffee and cooked bacon. He made it into the room and found almost everyone else down there as well. Alphonse, according to Chester, was making certain they had everything they needed in their suitcase, finally joining the rest of them while Ed was draining his third cup of coffee.

"So what did you decide to do with your house?" She asked curiously, even though she could guess from the streaks of soot her shrewd eyes had picked up on Al's armour that had missed the cleaning. Ed and Al glanced at each other before Ed cleared his throat.

"We burnt it to the ground." Granny nodded, like she'd expected that answer. Winry's reaction was comical. She blinked a few times before the words made it through her still-sleepy mind before they widened in realisation.

"You did what?!" She wasn't full on shouting but she was certainly sounding like she was about too. It was still way too loud in the quiet kitchen for Ed's liking.

"We burned it to the ground. That way, we wouldn't have anywhere to run too if things get too hard down the track," Ed said, irked he was having to defend his actions about something she had absolutely no say over anyway. The decision on what to do about their house was solely Ed's, Al's and the Animals and if Winry didn't like it than she'd have to deal with it. There was literally no changing their minds now.

"How could you do that to your home? What about all your things? The memories that house held for you? How could you just burn it like it was nothing?! Your dad built it with his bare hands! And where will you go once you've done what you need to do?" Ed felt his eye twitch as he struggled to reel his temper in. Ayala was helping, sending soothing thoughts to him but it was still a massive effort considering his lack of sleep and the fact that this had absolutely nothing to do with Winry. Granny intervened before Ed could do anything.

"That's enough, Winry." Winry turned her glare to her grandmother. Pinako simply glared back, making Winry falter for a moment. "The boys have obviously thought this over for a while. It was their home and therefore, their decision to make. You have no right to question their choice. As for where they'll go once this is over, that's also up to them," she finished sternly.

"But-" Winry was obviously not giving up.

"No 'buts'," Granny snapped, causing Winry to flinch slightly. "Besides, Ed and Al told you what happened with that transmutation. Could you go into that house if you were them?" Ed and Al weren't shocked in the slightest to hear that Granny had figured that out herself, nor were they surprised that Granny was using it to force Winry to stop herself from saying something she might regret later.

Granny knew Winry had fond memories of her own of the house and its owners but she always knew that this decision had belonged to the boys and their Animals alone and she didn't think it gave her a good enough reason to sticking her nose in where it didn't belong. Her stopping Winry from speaking also had the added benefit of stopping an unnecessary yelling match between her and Edward and Pinako was not in the mood for that right now. Winry scowled as she slouched in her chair but she let the subject go, causing Al and Pinako to sigh internally with relief.

Having dealt with Winry and ensuring there'd be no arguing that morning, Granny turned back to the boys and gave them a pointed look. "The two of you had better be heading off soon if you don't want to miss that train," she told them.

"Dunno. Might piss Mustang off which could make my morning infinitely more entertaining." Ed smirked a little tiredly. Pinako hid her amusement well.

"Brother, no," Al sighed.

 _"Brother, yes,"_ Chester told Ed. Ed couldn't cover his snort of amusement.

The differences between Chester and Ayala weren't many, aside from the physical, but that was one way they differed immensely. Ayala was Ed's voice of reason and though that didn't mean she didn't enjoy pranking people or having a good time, she did pull him in line if she thought he was going overboard. Chester was basically Ed. He encouraged Al to get out of his comfort zone and pull pranks or go a bit crazy. Ayala, being privy to any Animal's conversation with her human unless Ed blocked it, gave Chester a look that told him encouraging Ed would not end well for the leopard. Al didn't even want to know what Chester had said to Ed. Even though he technically couldn't, he still leveled Ed with his best glare. Ed got the message.

"Granny, are you and Winry going to come to the station with us?" Al asked the old woman. She shook her head.

"No, Al. Winry wants to go with you but I think I'll stay here." Her back wasn't feeling great and she didn't need to go into town anyway. She knew there would be no persuading Winry to stay home when they left so she never bothered to try. Ed and Al nodded before Edward looked at the clock and sighed. They really had better be going if they wanted to catch the train. Even though it amused him to think of Mustang's reaction if he did miss it, Al wouldn't let him. He stood up and there was a sudden scrabble on either side of him as both Animals and Al followed suit. Winry wasn't too far behind but Granny stayed where she was.

"Thanks for looking after us, Granny. We'll send a message through to Den when we get to East City," Al told her. Ed said a quick thanks too and Granny nodded, telling she'd accepted their gratitude.

"Have a safe trip, boys. Al, Ayala, try keeping Ed out of trouble. Ed, drink your milk." Granny smirked slightly. Ed's reaction was worth the teasing.

"NO WAY I'M DRINKING THAT WHITE POISON, YOU OLD HAG!" Ed screeched at her as his brother wrapped an arm around his middle to stop him launching at Pinako. He continued his mini rant as Al literally carried him and his suitcase through the door with an apology and another thank you directed at Pinako.

Both Chester and Ayala followed behind Al while Winry followed behind the three of them, arguing with Ed about how milk wasn't poison and that he should drink it so he didn't stay a midget forever. Them were fighting words, in Ed's opinion and since he couldn't physically fight Winry thanks to his brother's hold on him, he settled for verbally fighting her. It took the joint efforts of Al and Ayala to calm Ed down and stop Winry from teasing him before Al even attempted setting his older brother down so he could walk by himself. He steadied himself with a huff as he straightened his red jacket and snatched his suitcase from Al before storming ahead, muttering about what Winry could do with her suggestions. Ayala trotted to catch up so she could continue calming him so he wasn't worked up when he got on the train.

* * *

There was a comfortable atmosphere around Winry and Al as they walked but Al soon found it being replaced with something sadder. "Are you sure about this, Al?" Winry asked, her voice small. Al looked at her and considered what he'd say. Of course he wasn't sure. A little over a year ago they had been normal children and now he was a suit of armour and Ed was missing half of his limbs and had joined the military. This shouldn't have even been their life. He didn't want to go traversing across the country, chasing down weak rumours about something that probably doesn't exist with half a hope that they actually find it while his brother was forced to do the military's bidding. He wasn't sure that this was the best thing they could be doing but he knew it was the only thing they could do and it would be a cold day in hell when he let his brother do it all by himself.

"No, I'm not. But I'm still going to do it," Al said honestly. Winry startled. Obviously she was expecting an 'of course I'm sure'.

"Then why? You could stay here with me and Granny! You and Chester would be safe and you can stay in contact with Ed thanks to his abilities. You wouldn't need to risk your blood seal and your life!" Winry argued. She felt guilty for suggesting he even consider leaving Ed and Ayala to do this by themselves but if she couldn't keep both sets of humans and Animals safe, she'd settle for trying to keep one pair safe. To her dismay, Al just shook his head.

"You know I can't," Al chided gently. "I won't let him be by himself with this. I know he has Ayala but he needs me as well, even if he won't admit it, and I need to be with him. You know what he's like when he's latched onto a subject. He'll hole himself up somewhere and tune everything else out. He won't sleep or eat for days on end because he thinks he's close to a breakthrough and that's with stuff that isn't as life changing as this stone is. Plus, he's completely reckless. He acts first and asks questions later. You know that. He needs someone who can physically restrain him if necessary. But the main reason I'm not staying here with you and Granny is because I need him. He's my brother, Winry, and he's going to kill himself trying to right our wrongs and I will not let him shoulder this burden by himself." He didn't sugar coat it. Winry may be their sister in all but blood but she didn't understand. Ed and Al couldn't abandon the other for any reason. No matter the danger, the Elric brothers and their Animals stuck together.

Winry silently accepted defeat. She knew the odds of convincing Al to stay were about as good as getting her grandmother to give up her smoking habit but she still had to try one last time but she knew when to admit defeat. She was disappointed and felt a little betrayed but she knew that was because of her own selfishness, because she just wanted Al to stay so she had a friend near her. Now all she could do was settle for infrequent phone calls or messages from Den and even more infrequent visits. She may not be completely informed about the military and how its run but she knew to expect that Ed and Al wouldn't be given many breaks and considering it took nearly half a day to get to Resembool via train, well, she knew that Ed would want to spend any day off not doing anything or in the library. She glanced at the red-shrouded figure and watched him and his golden wolf walk side by side. She knew that the next time she saw him, he wouldn't be the same person he is now.

* * *

Though Winry and Al didn't say much more to each other, the two of them did come to a silent agreement that they should probably catch up to the volatile blonde to make sure he'd calmed down enough so he wouldn't attack one of the townspeople. However, they didn't have to worry too much as Ayala had done an amazing job calming him down and it was too early for the townspeople to be awake and on the streets just yet, with the exception of those who worked in places like the bakery or train station. Winry glared at the train that was already sitting in the station as if she could make it not leave with her best friends on board. Al took one look at the expression on Winry's face and decided to head to the ticket booth to get his and Ed's tickets verified so he could avoid being dragged into whatever Winry had to say to Ed, convinced it would be something similar to what she'd said to him but he was wrong.

"You had better make sure you look after my automail. Oil it as often as you can and make sure you dry it completely if you get it wet. You'd better contact Den as soon as you get to East City so that we know you're all fine. Make sure you eat lots so you replace what you use with that automail. So help me if I hear about you mistreating my beautiful creations because you're too lazy to perform your daily and weekly checks on it," she snarled, pointing a threatening wrench – _seriously why the hell does she always have a wrench with her?!_ – at him while he tried to keep himself out of harm's way.

Al sighed as he witnessed the scene before him. He knew this was Winry's way of saying she was worried and that she hoped they stayed safe but this was a bit much, even if Ed did sometimes need the fear of a wrench upside the head to make sure he did look after his automail properly. Al still decided to separate them before any physical damage could be inflicted on someone, likely an innocent bystander if Ed managed to dodge the flying wrench. He knew Ed wouldn't hesitate to drop Winry just because she's a girl. Mercifully, a voice announced that passengers bound for East City were welcome to start boarding.

Winry's good mood at threatening Ed dissolved as soon as she heard that voice. That voice meant the boys and their Animals were going to leave and who knows how long it'd be before she saw them next? This wasn't like when they left for Dublith. Even though she and Granny barely had any contact with them during those two years, they still knew they were safe and being looked after. This time around, all they knew was that Ed and Al would be facing all sorts of unimaginable things and they would only have each other and their Animals to rely completely on. Ed was saying something to Al, probably about needing to board the train, but she wasn't listening. Instead, she found herself latching onto Ed, wrapping her arms behind his neck and squeezing the life out of him. Ed flailed in surprise and awkwardly patted her on the back with his human hand.

"Stay safe, alchemy freak," she whisper-sobbed before she abruptly let him go and threw her arms around Al's middle as much as she could. "Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid and stay safe as well." Al gave her a small squeeze back; mindful he didn't hurt her in the process. She let go of him and crouched down so she could scratch both Ayala and Chester behind their ears. "Keep them alive, okay?" She would've given them a near-death hug as well but she knew they weren't close enough for that. Animals only accepted hugs from people they were extremely close too. She stood up and wiped the tears from her face. "Well? You better get on that train!" She ordered, glaring at them. Edward had given up trying to understand Winry years ago. There were just some things he didn't need to understand.

"See you next time we see you, Winry," Ed and Al said as they headed to their chosen carriage with a wave. Their Animals followed obediently behind them.

Winry watched them board and waved when Al raised his hand in her direction. Ed did the same thing after a not-so-subtle nudge. She stayed there until the train pulled out of the station and with a final wave, the boys soon disappeared from her sight. Making sure her face was clear of tears, she turned and headed back to her home. She had orders she needed to get working on and she had some ideas for improvements for Ed's automail she needed to get written down.

* * *

The train ride to East City was thoroughly uneventful. Ed napped on Ayala for most of the journey. He felt kinda bad for leaving Al to entertain himself but Al had insisted that he rest while he could so Mustang wouldn't be pissed because he fell asleep the official briefing of his duties and whatnot. Ed did as he was told while Al read the books they'd brought with them. They were originally not going to bring any books since they'd have tons of new material at any library they wanted to access but Winry, surprisingly, having been the one to point out that Al would have nothing to do on the train if Ed fell asleep. There was still roughly an hour of travel time before they were due to arrive when Ed woke up, looking slightly more rested than before. He spent that hour filling Al and Chester in on things he thought his younger brother and Animal should know, namely the team and their Animals. Suddenly, a thought hit Al.

"What happens when we arrive at East City, brother?" Ed turned his head so he was focused on his brother's armour instead of the passing scenery.

"Dunno." He shrugged his shoulder nonchalantly. "I'm assuming someone will pick us up. Miss Riza did mention something along those lines. Don't worry about it. Worse comes to worse, we'll storm Mustang's office." Ed looked a little too hopeful when he said that.

"Maybe you should contact Nala and see if she knows anything?" Al suggested, hoping to avoid the whole storming thing altogether. Ed muttered something about abusing his abilities but when that didn't seem to change his brother's mind, he gave in and contacted her.

"Hey, Nala? You busy?" He felt Nala's happiness at hearing his voice. She responded immediately.

 _"Of course not. Roy isn't even providing adequate entertainment today. He's actually doing his paperwork instead of trying to find new hiding places or setting it on fire,"_ she informed him sullenly. He chuckled at her plight.

"How dare he?" Ed said, faux offended and Nala laughed at him. "Anyway, do you know if someone is meeting us at the station? My _brother_ ," Al rolled his eyes at the emphasis on the word, "would like to be sure there is someone meeting us."

 _"I believe you'll be forced to endure Havoc and Mark again. They left only a minute or so ago. I'm assuming you're due to arrive soon?"_ She sent back after a moment. She hadn't heard Mustang actually give the order. Then again, she hadn't really been paying attention to him since he made it past 10:00am without setting something on fire. She'd be lying if she said it wasn't a little out of spite. Ed hummed before speaking.

"Yeah, we're about 15 minutes out. Thanks for letting me know. I'm sure Al's mind will be put at ease now. I'll see you soon, 'kay?" Nala agreed and they both said their goodbyes.

Nala cracked an eye open to see if Roy had suspected anything abnormal happening but, as she hoped, he hadn't. She was rather disappointed but dismissed that feeling soon after. The longer it went without him figuring it out, the funnier it would be. She was almost embarrassed at how happy she was when she'd first heard Ed's voice after a week. She may have only known the boy for a few days but she felt just as protective and worried about him as she did Roy. It was almost like he was her human, only less intense. She couldn't sense his emotions 24/7 and she couldn't prevent him from getting into potentially dangerous situations by using her instincts but nearly everything else was the same; they could talk telepathically, sight share and she'd even be able to pinpoint his location within a certain radiance. She told herself that the uniqueness of Ed's situation was why she felt that way but she knew better. She'd gone and grown attached to the blonde and it didn't help that Roy felt the same way, even if he didn't know it yet.

* * *

Ed passed on Nala's message to Al and watched as Al seemed relax slightly, knowing there would definitely be someone waiting for them at the station and Ed felt guilty for forgetting, even momentarily, that Al was still an 11-year-old boy who only looked like a giant suit of armour. Of course he would've been a little nervous about being in a massive city with no adult to help show them around. But Ed squashed the self-guilt down before it could affect the others on the train and dampen the mood.

The conductor made the announcement that they'd be pulling into East City station momentarily and both boys started packing up their gear, double-checking they had all of Al's books back in Ed's suitcase as the train pulled into the station. Ayala and Chester led the way off the train car and started carving a path through the numerous humans and Animals waiting to board their own trains. Ayala's ears perked up as she heard something and a quick word to both Chester and Ed had them following her as she headed towards whatever she heard. Ed quickly found out that she was now leading them towards Havoc and Mark. Obviously, Nala had been right in her guess of who was picking them up.

Ed grinned as Havoc spotted him and waved enthusiastically at him and Ayala as they approached. Havoc's eyes widened slightly as he spotted Alphonse bringing up the rear of their little group before he smoothed out his expression into a big grin once more. Ed knew that the team had been told that Alphonse wore armour but obviously Mustang hadn't given them any actual description of it, including how tall he was.

"Hey, Havoc," Ed greeted once they were close enough to hear each other over the bustle of the train station. "Hey, Mark." The rooster puffed up slightly when he was greeted and bobbed his head at Ed.

"Good afternoon, Major Elric," Havoc greeted with the required salute and Ed scowled.

"Don't do that," Ed grumbled, causing Havoc to look a little startled. "I didn't join the military because I wanted to be called by a title or any of that stupid shit. Just call me Ed or Edward." Havoc grinned at him, a little relieved he wasn't really in trouble. "Anyway, this is my little brother and his Animal," Ed said, waving a hand at the two.

"Pleasure to meet the two of you," Havoc said, extending an arm to Al. "I'm 2nd Lieutenant Jean Havoc and this is Mark," he introduced himself before pointing to Mark.

"Alphonse Elric and this is my Sunda Clouded Leopard, Chester," Al said as he gripped Havoc's hand. "It's nice to meet the two of you as well."

"So what's the plan now?" Ed asked, attracting Havoc's attention.

"The bossman wants you two to come 'round to the office so that Alphonse can meet the team and so he can get all the official crap over and done with." Havoc may have changed the wording a bit. He started leading the brothers and Animals out to the waiting car.

"Sounds fun," Ed said sarcastically, causing Havoc laughed at his tone. Al just glared at him, unimpressed with his attitude.

Havoc took the lead and led them out of the train station, expertly weaving himself and them through the crowd without managing to annoy anyone else. They finally made it out onto the street and Havoc brought them over to a car identical to the one he had driven to pick up Ed and Ayala when he was applying to be a State Alchemist. After placing their suitcase in the boot, Ayala, Ed, Al and Chester soon all bundled themselves into the back of the car. It was a little bit tight but they managed to all squeeze in and Havoc pulled out of the station before they found themselves merging with the late-morning traffic.

"So, Alphonse, I hope you don't mind me asking but I'm curious. Why are you wearing a suit of armour?" Both Animals were immediately on alert while Ed's eyes widened in surprise.

Al found himself taken aback and in the uncomfortable situation of having no idea what to say as he and Ed had never even thought about a cover story. The people of Resembool generally kept themselves out of other's business unless it directly involved them so they'd never been asked about Al's armour before now. Ed wanted to facepalm at the idiocy they'd shown. He'd actually managed to forget that Mustang's team, with the only exception being Hawkeye, had no clue about what the brothers had done and therefore had no clue why Al was, for all intents and purposes, wearing a suit of armour. Luckily, Ed could think quickly on his feet and managed to come up with a plausible story.

"He wears it for his alchemy training," he said, tone light as he could make it, face telling Al to roll with it.

"Yeah," Al said, trying to keep his own voice nonchalant, "Teacher has ordered me to wear this until she sees fit," Al added on smoothly. The likelihood of anyone in the military meeting Teacher and being around conscious long enough for them to ask questions about the Elrics was slim to none so they felt safe using her as an excuse.

"Sounds harsh," Havoc commented. He wasn't an alchemist but he did know that different teachers had different methods. However he had never heard of training that entailed making their student wear a suit of armour 24/7.

Ed and Al shrugged; an action Havoc caught in the rear-view mirror. Neither boy commented any further on the subject so he let it drop. Both boys were just relieved when no further questions came forth and the Animals relaxed from their tense positions. The rest of the car ride was silent right up until Al and Chester laid eyes on East City base for the first time. They'd never seen a place so big and busy. Ed had only seen the place a few times but he was still a bit taken aback himself. Havoc, naturally, didn't spare it a second glance as he found the first parking spot he could and pulled in. Everyone climbed out and followed Havoc and Mark, the two Animals trying to take in all the scents they could and the two humans memorising their route like Teacher had trained them to do.

* * *

Ed was greeted with a lot of noise when he finally followed Havoc through the door into the main part of Mustang's office. He gathered from the other's reactions that they were excited to see him again, although he really couldn't fathom why. They'd met like three times previously. He finally put it down to him being the newest member. Hawkeye put a stop to all the noise just before everyone reacted the same way as Havoc when they finally noticed Al. Ed had never been more grateful for a bullet being fired in his presence than in that moment.

"Edward, it's lovely to see you again," Hawkeye greeted, lowering her weapon. "If you'll follow me, I'll take you in to see the colonel now." Hawkeye smiled at him while holstering her weapon. Ed hesitated for a moment. He didn't really want to abandon Al to a group of strangers who didn't know his situation. "The colonel would also like for Alphonse to go with you, if that's agreeable? You can introduce yourself to the team afterwards." Thank Truth for Hawkeye. He knew that Mustang probably hadn't said anything about Al going in with him and he silently thanked Hawkeye for realising the problem and offering a solution. Both boys joined her next to her desk as she turned around and spoke to the others. Ed watched Soren ruffle up his feathers to create some warmth for himself. Ed smirked. He had decided that he'd reveal his talents to the Animals on the team before he was sent on his first mission, whenever that was. Now seemed like a good time to get started.

"Hello, Soren." The poor owl nearly gave himself whiplash as he turned his head so he was looking at Ed instead of his human.

 _"You just spoke to me."_ His eyes were wider than Ed had ever seen on any Animal.

"Yup," Ed agreed. Soren just stared at him in disbelief.

 _"You just spoke to me the way my human would."_ Soren realised he wasn't doing a very good job at showing his species intelligence levels right now but he didn't really care. This human was speaking to him telepathically!

"I did," Ed assured him. Soren wanted to ask so many questions but Ed's attention was grabbed by Hawkeye motioning the Elrics to follow her. "If you have questions, ask Ayala. She can explain while I'm talking to Mustang," he said, not even bothering to look back as he followed Soren's human through the inner office door.

The Barn Owl sat on his makeshift perch in shock until Falman's Manta Ray asked him what was wrong. Without considering whether he should or not, Soren did what he did best; he gossiped. Soon all the other Animals in the office knew about Ed's ability and none of them believed it. Soren didn't take it to heart. No human in the history of ever had been able to speak telepathically to multiple Animals. Soren didn't bother trying to convince them. They'd find out soon enough.

"Hey Nala," Ed greeted the lioness happily. Nala made a happy noise in response. "Mustang," Ed said decidedly less happy.

"Fullmetal," Mustang said back in the same tone as Edward. His eyes flicked over to Alphonse. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Alphonse."

"Likewise, Colonel Mustang, and please just call me Al. This is my Animal, Chester." Al's tone was polite and genuine.

"Nice to finally put a name to the leopard," Mustang said, remembering the less than pleasant first meeting between the six of them. Both Al and Ed heard Chester snort at that. "I don't believe I ever formally introduced her but I'm sure Fullmetal has mentioned her name. This is Nala." He indicated to where Nala had been sitting only to find her sitting next to Ed and Ayala in front of his desk.

"Nice to meet you, Nala," Al greeted warmly. Chester and Nala also greeted each other and with that, everyone had formally met.

"Go have a seat on one of the couches. I'll join you momentarily," Mustang ordered, turning to speak to Hawkeye about something as Ed and Al did as they were told.

Chester took a shine to the back of the couch and decided it would be his spot for the time being, against Alphonse's protests. Once he realised his whispered pleas were useless, Al huffed in surrender and sat right in the corner, taking up nearly a third of the whole couch. Edward let Ayala hop up first so she could get comfortable before he sat himself next to her, effectively wedging her between him and Al.

To his surprise, Nala joined them on the couch, sitting on Ed's other side. It was a bit of a squeeze but they managed. They chatted amongst themselves quietly while waiting for Mustang to get his arse over to the other couch. Al felt a tad left out considering Ed could chat freely to all the Animals and he had to rely on Chester to pass on what was said but he felt that moment pass. Ed's attention was drawn to the sound of the office door closing and turned to face that direction, only to have his view obscured by a pretty spotted coat. He scowled at said coat but turned back to the conversation. Mustang came into his field of vision only a couple seconds later.

* * *

Mustang sat on the vacant couch so he was facing the brothers and their Animals and scowled slightly when he realised his Nala was curled up over with them. He'd known she'd taken a shine to the blonde boy but he couldn't help but feel a little betrayed right now. Nala rolled her eyes at his dramatics and heaved herself off the couch so she could go curl up next to Mustang. As much as she liked Edward, there was more room to stretch over there. Ed was grateful for the lioness moving. It meant he and Ayala could spread out a bit, which they did. Ayala sprawled on the couch so her head was in Ed's lap and her tail thumped lazily on Al's leg. Chester purred in Al's ear and draped his tail on Ed's shoulder.

Mustang watched them get comfortable with a scrutinising gaze. Most Animals didn't like touching other humans if they could help it. However, Chester and Ayala certainly didn't seem to mind the contact they had with their human's brother. He knew the boys were close, it was immediately evident even if you didn't know about Ed's sacrifice for Al, but that didn't mean that the Animals would be as close to the other's human. He'd saved Maes' life multiple times and Leo still didn't like to be as close to him as Chester was to Ed or Ayala to Al. Maybe it was because Ed and Al were actual brothers and had gotten their Animals at roughly the same age? He didn't know but he was still curious but he also knew that that curiousity would have to wait.

"As I promised," he started saying, his voice drawing the boys full attention, "Al will be allowed to accompany you on missions, Fullmetal." He decided to start with the conditions to Ed's most important request so he could get it out of the way. "Alphonse and Chester can accompany you on any mission they'd like unless the Fuhrer or I state otherwise. The only reason I can foresee that Al would be required to stay behind is if the mission requires complete stealth. While you could change your clothes and hair colour, Alphonse can't change his armour to something less conspicuous." Ed wanted to protest as soon as Mustang had mentioned there'd be times that Al couldn't go with him but a combination of Mustang's reasoning and his wolf telling him that starting an argument would be stupid stopped him. He hated that she was right.

"Fine," Ed grumbled. "If those sorts of assignments come up, Al can stay here and research or go back to Granny's while I'm gone." Ed glanced at Al while he spoke and he gave a slight nod of his metal head.

"Very well," Mustang said. "As you know, you have the rank of a Major and all the benefits that come with it, Fullmetal. That means that you'll have to follow any orders given by officers of a higher rank than you. As a State Alchemist though, you do get the option of refusing orders if you have a legitimate reason. However, I must caution you. Don't refuse orders just because you don't feel like following them. The military will investigate the reasons you give and I won't cover for you unless I have a good reason too," he warned and Edward resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He knew Mustang wouldn't cover for him if it didn't further his cause in some way so the little warning was unnecessary. Al, however, had some questions.

"Why would brother need to refuse orders? I thought soldiers had to follow every order given to them," Al asked, confused.

"Well, despite what your brother boasts, he probably can't perform every type of alchemy. Some officials won't look for an alchemist that has the specific alchemic specialty for what's required, they'll just order the nearest alchemist to do what they want," he answered Al while Ed scowled at the kind-of insult. He aimed the rest of his speech at Edward. "If you can't do the alchemy required, you can refuse the order. If you're about to head out on another mission that requires you to catch a train or complete it within a certain time frame, you can refuse an order. If you believe following the order would result in unnecessary damage or danger to the public or military and the higher-up won't be reasoned with, you can refuse the order. The only other reason for refusing an order would be that you've been given conflicting orders from another officer or your orders come from me or the Fuhrer. As your commanding officer, I get first say in where you go and what orders you follow. The only way my orders to any of my subordinates gets overridden is if the Fuhrer says so." Edward hadn't broken eye contact while Mustang was speaking. He was fully prepared to commit everything Mustang told him to memory. He needed to make sure he never slipped up. If he did, the military might get suspicious and he might get investigated and Al might get discovered. So, while he didn't like Mustang and he liked the military even less, he was going to make sure he never gave them a reason to investigate him or Al. Mustang's attention turned back to Al.

"However, Alphonse, as you are not an official member of the military, you are not required to follow any orders given to you. In fact, it would be best if you don't follow any orders someone gives you. You can shadow your brother and help him or whatever but don't follow any orders given directly to you. If people believe you to be the Fullmetal Alchemist, correct them. Don't take orders on behalf of Edward. Do you understand?" Mustang asked. Al was a bit confused but Edward had a feeling he knew what Mustang was saying in between the lines.

"One of us being forced to take orders from the military is bad enough, Al. Don't let them think they own both of us." He knocked his fist on Al's shoulder and gave him a small smile.

"Okay, brother," Al agreed. Mustang was happy with how smoothly this was going. So far, so good.

"Good. Glad we agree. Let's continue." The next couple of hours were going over all the things that Mustang and Ed had already discussed, mainly for Al's benefit but Mustang didn't think a refresher would hurt Ed. By the end of it, Mustang was fighting the urge to yawn. Edward wasn't even bothering.

"Is that everything?" Ed asked, a little cranky. He was really tired still.

"One last thing. You won't take on any missions or assignments until your first lot of research grants go into your account," Mustang told him. "We've had some issues because of your age but we're hoping it'll be sorted within a couple of days. The military has put you two in a dorm on the base, which I will gladly show you now if you'd like?" Mustang couldn't hide the faint hope in his voice.

"Anything to get out of paperwork huh?" Ed smirked at him. Mustang scowled as Nala laughed.

The Animals and Ed hoped off the couch and stretched their sore muscles out and headed for the door, Al following happily. Mustang and Nala followed Al after stretching out their own cramped muscles. Hawkeye leveled him with a knowing look when he made his appearance.

"Havoc, hand over your keys. I'm gonna go show the Elric's where they're set up," Mustang ordered, purposefully ignoring Hawkeye. Havoc handed them over without any protest. "And no smoking in the office, you know that." Havoc gave a guilty grin as he put the freshly lit smoke out.

"I'm sure you'll be back in a timely manner to finish your paperwork, Sir," Hawkeye said, tone clipped and disapproving. Ed really had to struggle to keep a straight face.

"Of course, Lieutenant," Mustang flippantly replied. Ed noticed Soren watching him.

"I'm sorry I can't stick around. I didn't expect Mustang to want to escort us to the dorms. I have a feeling he'll have me back again tomorrow so we can talk then, okay?" He asked the owl, using their brand-new connection.

 _"Don't worry. Riza and I knew what he planned to do. He thought he was being sneaky about it. We can talk later,"_ the owl replied, amused. Ed flashed him a grin as they left. He realised that Al hadn't had the chance to introduce himself to the team but he figured that would be part of the excuse Mustang would give to have them come back tomorrow.

* * *

They were halfway back to Havoc's car when all three Animals suddenly went on high alert. Nala must've told Mustang what was going on because he got this expression on his face like he'd suddenly prefer doing paperwork than face whatever was coming. Ayala and Chester couldn't give any insights, only telling their respective humans that someone unpleasant was approaching. Mustang never said anything, just continued walking like nothing had happened. The brothers simply exchanged looks and followed in his wake.

The problem soon made itself known in the form of a military soldier. The man looked to be around Mustang's age, with greasy looking hair and beady eyes. Ed studied Mustang's face and was surprised to see the look of disdain on it. From what he knew of Mustang in their brief time in Central, Mustang never let his true feelings for anyone show through his impassive mask. The soldier stopped in front of Mustang and offered a salute that Ed guessed would've only _just_ passed regulations. He then glanced at Ed and Al before an amused expression flitted across his features.

"Ah Colonel Mustang. I didn't know you were in charge of showing school children around the base." The man's voice had an oily tone to it. Ed felt Nala hold back a growl. Ed would've been impressed with the thinly veiled insult had the dude not been giving off extreme creeper vibes.

"Lieutenant-Colonel Archer. I forgot you were still here in East City," Mustang drawled, seemingly unfazed by Archer's attitude. "You obviously haven't heard the news. This is my newest subordinate, Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist." He clapped a hand on Ed's automail shoulder.

Archer couldn't keep the surprise and recognition off his face. Archer looked over Ed with calculating eyes and Ed had to both repress a shudder and stop Ayala from trying to eat the guys intestines. He did not like being on the end of that look. He even felt the small portion of Mustang's hand on the remaining flesh part of his shoulder clench a little tighter.

"So you're the new State Alchemist all the bases seem to be talking about," Archer said, looking Ed up and down. "I knew you were young but I didn't realise Colonel Mustang would even consider recruiting a child. And this must be your wolf. I'd heard the Fullmetal Alchemist had a golden wolf but I figured the rumours were just that, rumours." He eyed Ayala up like he was considering if she'd make a good floor rug. Ayala let out a feral snarl, lip curled and teeth gnashing.

" _Easy, Aya,"_ Ed whispered to her, holding her back.

"You might want to train your Animal to have some better manners, especially towards superior officers like myself," Archer sneered and Ed was beyond tempted to let Ayala at him. Funnily enough, Archer didn't seem to notice the leopard with his hackles raised and back arched.

"Superior arse, maybe," Ed muttered to himself. He was obviously loud enough for Mustang to have heard him because he saw a glint of amusement in his eyes. Speaking loud enough for Archer to hear him, he spoke to Ayala. "Ayala, stop wasting your energy snarling at the lieutenant colonel." Normally Ed wasn't this rude to people he'd just met but there was just this seriously wrong feeling he got whenever Archer looked his way.

Said man narrowed his eyes at what he thought was an insult. He wasn't wrong. Archer flicked his gaze over to Al and took in the armour. He'd heard that the Fullmetal Alchemist would be around today, hence why he was hanging out in this corridor. He'd planned on introducing himself to the kid and offering him the chance to switch over to his command. He'd been prepared to manipulate the boy since it wasn't known how he felt about his current CO. If the boy was half as powerful and intelligent as the rumours said, Archer would be able to use him to beat Mustang to the top of the military ladder. He hadn't expected to see a walking suit of armour though. He was distracted by a large shape landing to perch on the open window ledge.

"Ah, Drew. You're just in time to meet the newest State Alchemist," he said to what was obviously his Animal. Ed peered around Mustang for a better look and recognised the general species of bird that was sitting on the sill, like it owned the place. Obviously, human and Animal were having a conversation which ended when the massive bird turned its head to scrutinise Edward.

"That's your Animal?" Ed couldn't stop himself from asking. Archer looked proud.

"Yes. This is Drew. He is a Griffon Vulture." He gave the bird's head a pat while he seemed to preen in Edwards surprised tone.

"Didn't know Animals could resemble their humans so closely." Mustang decided it was time to go. While he enjoyed watching Archer being on the receiving end of Ed's semi-veiled insults, the man was dangerous and he'd rather Edward stayed as far away from him as he could.

"As pleasant as this has been," Mustang's tone said the complete opposite, "we really must be going." Ed didn't even bother arguing. He wanted Al and himself to be as far away from that man as possible. Without offering a goodbye, Mustang pushed both boys forward slightly so they'd start walking forwards.

"It's been a pleasure, Edward. I look forward to talking to you again." Archer's voice called back to them. Ed didn't bother repressing the shudder that voice invoked. Talking to Archer was definitely not on his to-do list anywhere in the near future.

 _"Not fucking likely."_ Ed was surprised to hear his Animal swear. Normally she didn't.

Ayala was walking right against his left leg. Nala had situated herself on his right, though she was closer to Mustang than she was Ed. Chester's hackles had finally gone down and was walking on Al's right. They made it to the car in silence before Mustang removed the hand Ed had forgotten was on his shoulder. They clambered in the car since the dorms were a decent distance away and Archer had wasted enough of their time. At least, that's what Mustang said.

"Are you okay, brother?" Al asked, voice so quiet Ed almost didn't hear him.

"Course I am. Takes more than a creep with a vulture to rattle your older brother." Ed grinned at him.

He ignored how Mustang's eyes flicked in the rear-view mirror to watch him for a moment. Truth be told, he was freaked out. He hadn't even been in the military a fortnight and he already had to face someone as chilling as that. But it'd do no good for Al to worry about him. It was only half a minute later that they got their first glimpse of the military dorms. They didn't look like much but Ed supposed the military wasn't really forking out money for their soldiers to have a five-star experience here. Ed wasn't fussy where he slept, so long as he got to sleep. They all climbed out of the now parked car and once again, the Elrics followed Mustang. Mustang fished out two separate keys and handed one to Al and used the second key open the door to room 107 before handing it to Ed.

"Welcome to your new home," he said dryly as the door creaked open. Al and Ed headed in right away.

The room was slightly bigger than they'd expected but that was about all that was good about it. It had two king-sized beds on opposite sides of the walls with a large dog bed beside each bed, obviously for the occupants Animals. There was a little kitchen that had the bare necessities; a kettle, coffee, microwave, sink and small fridge. Ed saw a closed door and assumed it was the bathroom and toilet. That was literally it. Ed mentally shrugged, he doubted he'd be spending much time here anyway so he didn't care how minimal it was. Al went in to investigate the place further, taking Ed's suitcase with him. Ed went to follow when Mustang grabbed his flesh arm and led him to just beside the door frame.

"What gives?" Ed scowled. Mustang's grip was probably going to leave bruises.

"You need to make sure you steer clear of Archer," Mustang said, voice deadly serious. Ed pulled his arm from his grip.

"I planned on it." He frowned, rubbing his arm. Mustang felt a tiny twinge of guilt for grabbing him so roughly but he needed Ed to understand.

"Archer and I have never seen eye-to-eye. He is someone who relishes the idea of war. He enjoys the horrors that war brings and has this dream of becoming a war hero. To do this, he believes he needs an extremely powerful alchemist under his control. He will likely try to bring you under his command. He may not seem it but he is very dangerous. He is not afraid to hurt or kill people to achieve his goals. Do you understand what I'm saying?" The kid had barely joined the military and Archer had already marked him as a possible tool or threat to be eliminated. "I'd hoped you'd go through your entire military career without ever meeting him. He's never approached my team but I should've known he'd try something with you. You need to be careful. He's not known for taking 'no' for an answer. He's going back to his own base tomorrow morning so he won't be a problem for a while, hopefully." Mustang spoke as quickly and quietly as he could.

"I get it," Ed said. "Trust me, Ayala and I can tell he's extremely bad news. We aren't going near him if we have a choice, I can assure you of that," Ed told him.

"Good," Mustang breathed a sigh of relief. "Speaking of Ayala, though. You need to make sure neither of you ever act like that in front of someone who is a higher rank than you. Snarling at someone above Ed's rank is considered a threat and the officer can and will more than likely court-martial Edward for your behaviour," Mustang told Ayala before turning back to Ed. "Talking back to them or insulting them is considered insubordination. You could be court martialled for that and, trust me, that is the last thing you want to risk getting." Edward didn't bother looking ashamed of how he'd acted. Neither did Ayala. She got her point across.

"We'll keep that in mind," he promised and Ayala nodded her head in agreement. Mustang realised that was probably the best he'd get from either of them.

"Let's go back in the room before your brother thinks something's up," Mustang said.

Once Ed had sat on a bed, Mustang gave them directions to places he thought they'd need to know; the mess, restaurants, grocery stores, etc. Before he left he told Ed that Fuery would be by in the morning to escort him to the office so that Alphonse could finally introduce himself. Ed nodded his acceptance and internally celebrated the fact that he was right about the excuse Mustang would use.

* * *

Now that they were left to their own devices, Ed gave himself a tour of their assigned room. Ayala took one look at the small mattress and refused to consider it proper bedding. Chester was excited since he'd either have the choice of the extra bed or the lounge to camp on, depending on where Al decided to set up his spot for the night. After a few minutes of rifling through the kitchen cupboards to see if there was anything to eat in there, Ed declared a shopping trip was in order. He'd found an electric frying pan and a toaster plus cutlery but no food. That would not do so after spending a couple of minutes to dig their remaining money out of Ed's suitcase, both boys and Animals left to follow Mustang's instructions to the nearest grocery store.

It took them a little longer than it should've since they made a couple of wrong turns but they finally reached their destination. Al may not need to eat but that didn't mean he was going to let his brother subside off of junk food for the entirety of his military career, making him buy healthy food as well as a few less healthy snacks. Ed grumbled but didn't protest since Al bargained the fresh food in exchange for not buying or forcing Ed to drink milk.

The trip back to their dorm was a lot quicker, even with them carrying their newly purchased food. Ed told Al and Chester what Mustang had told him and Ayala about Archer. He didn't want to since Al would just worry but he also didn't want Al to not know how dangerous Mustang believed the man to be. While Ed planned on avoid the man as much as humanly possible, there was the slight chance they'd come face to face with him again considering how much Ed and Al would be travelling in the near future and he didn't want Al to be unprepared for anything. Al and Chester were both shocked with what Ed told them and expressed their concerns.

"We can't worry about him, guys. I'm sure it'll be a long time before we run into him again. I have a feeling Mustang won't be sending me on any missions near him if he can help it. He doesn't want to lose his newest political tool, after all," Ed assured them. He knew Mustang would never risk him being poached by anyone and he knew that Mustang would never intentionally place him near someone who he knew to be a threat to his position in the military and showed an unnerving interest in Ed.

Al hummed, temporarily satisfied with Ed's logical outlook. Al didn't like his brother referring to himself as a tool though. Plus, Al had a sneaking suspicion that Mustang didn't think of Ed as simply a means to an end. Not with the way that Mustang had placed his hand on Ed's shoulder. It could've been seen as a simple possessive placement or even a way to hold Ed back from hitting the man or saying something that would end with him in hot water but Al and Chester secretly suspected there was a bit more to it than that. Although, Al mused, it might just be his imagination. After all, Ed and the Colonel had only really known each other for a couple of weeks.

* * *

They reached their dorm room at around 6:30, just as the sun had finally set, and were surprised to find Fuery and Kara waiting at their door. Ed grinned at the now second youngest member of Mustang's team and called out a greeting. He liked the bespectacled man. They'd spoken about different technical things the man was working on before Ed had returned to Resembool and Fuery had seemed grateful to talk to someone who understood what he was saying and Ed appreciated the fact that the slightly older man had been patient when he explained something Ed hadn't quite understood. Still, the black-haired man smiled nervously and lifted a hand in a half-hearted greeting while Kara called out a greeting.

"Hey, Fuery, Kara. What's up?" Ed asked as they reached their front door. Fuery's eyes flicked curiously at Al before he answered, nerves showing in his voice.

"Not much. I heard from the colonel you'll be staying near me and thought I'd come see how you were doing and if you needed anything." Kara gave him a soft peck, something Ed assumed was an affectionate gesture.

"Really? How far away are you? And we're good now that we've got some food." Ed grinned. No one except Al and Mustang were privy to just how much Ed loved his food. Fuery seemed to relax now that he knew he wasn't being blown off or anything.

"Four doors up. Room 111," Fuery said, pointing in the direction of his room. "And good choice going grocery shopping. The mess is only good if you're desperate and have absolutely no other choice," Fuery laughed. He wasn't kidding though. Last time he ate something there, he was crook for nearly four days. Ed suddenly remembered something.

"Oh! You two haven't met yet," Ed said. "Al, this is Sergeant Kain Fuery and his Animal, Kara. Fuery, this is my younger brother Alphonse and his Animal, Chester," he introduced them and Fuery automatically put his hand out for Al to shake, a gesture Al returned.

"It's nice to meet you, Alphonse, Chester." Fuery smiled at them. He didn't seem put off by the armour or the fact said armour was nearly 7 feet tall, which was something Ed was pleased to notice.

"You too, Sergeant Fuery, Kara. Ed told me about the stuff you guys talked about. It sounded really fascinating," Al replied, ever polite while Chester and Kara exchanged their own greetings.

Edward had opened up their door while Al was talking and gestured for Fuery to go in since he needed to put the groceries that were slowly cutting circulation in his left hand off down somewhere. Fuery accepted the invite with some hesitation but Ed's invite for him to sit on the couch while he put stuff away helped with that. His attention turned back to Al as the boy finished talking.

"You really think so? Most people aren't that interested in what I do so long as it gets done," Fuery remarked.

"We're not most people," Ed assured him, head stuck in the fridge as he put cold things away. Al remembered his manners.

"Would you like something to drink, Sergeant Fuery?" Al asked, stopping what he was doing and facing the young man.

"Please, just call me Fuery. And no, thank you. I should really be heading to my own dorm. Gotta start cooking our dinner." Fuery smiled, grateful for the offer and stood so he could leave. Ed finally finished in the fridge and looked at him.

"Okay but you and I have to talk sometime tomorrow. I wanna know how that project of yours turned out," he requested as he moved to the last of the grocery bags.

"No worries." Fuery smiled, happy Ed had remembered what he was working on and was curious about the results. "It was nice meeting you, Al and Chester. I'll see you guys in the morning. Mustang did say that I'd be the one showing you the way to the office if you walk, right?" He asked, sounding worried.

"Yup, he told us. We'll see you tomorrow," Ed assured him. Fuery nodded and headed out, closing the door behind him. The two brothers finished the unpacking in silence before Ed contemplated the most important choice he had to make today; what was for dinner. He decided on spaghetti Bolognese and started cooking as Al put away everything that was non-food items. Ayala and Chester were in the kitchen, ever hopeful Ed would drop some food.

"Sergeant Fuery seems nice," Al remarked as he sat at the small table near the kitchen.

"Yeah, he's a good bloke. He's good to have a chat too. You learn a lot of stuff about technology from him," Ed said as he moved about in the kitchen. "And call him Fuery, Al. You heard him." He pointed the wooden spoon at his little brother, making Al held up his hands in mock surrender. Ed turned back and put the pasta in the microwave, mentally cursing the fact that there was no oven or stove top to boil the pasta with like a normal fucking human.

Ten minutes later, he had a decent looking version of spaghetti Bolognese in front of him and the Animals and all three dug in with gusto. After dinner there was a brief argument over Al doing the dishes, which Al had won. He and Ed had always followed the rule 'you cook, you clean' but Al had decided that Ed wasn't allowed to clean after dinner since Al couldn't cook anyway. Without a sense of smell of taste, he couldn't tell if something was burning or had too much salt in it. So he forced Ed to accept the new rule and go for a shower.

While Ed didn't like cleaning up, he also didn't like breaking the few routines they still had from when they were kids. Fed and cleaned, Ed collapsed on his bed, suddenly feeling the exhaustion that comes with travelling and moving into a new place. Ayala laid down next to him and Al claimed the bed, forcing Chester to sleep on the couch, not that the big cat minded. Al flicked the lights off and after a barely coherent good night to his brother, Ed passed out.

* * *

Fuery collected them at 6:30am sharp. Ed grabbed an apple on his way out, even though he'd just eaten a huge breakfast, and all for occupants of dorm 107 followed the Sergeant through the dorm buildings. Once in the open, Kara took off from Fuery's shoulder and flew out of sight. From Fuery's lack of concern, this was a normal thing for the Pied Crow to do. The boys and Fuery chatted about how their first night in the dorm was.

Al mentioned how noisy East City was and Fuery could sympathise. He'd come from a quiet town as well and could remember his first night. After reassuring Al he'd get used to it in a few days, he asked Ed the same thing. Ed just said that he slept like a log which Fuery presumed was because he'd recently spent time in East and Central City so was a little more used to it than his brother. They reached Mustang's office at 7 and Ed noticed that everyone bar Mustang and Nala were present. Judging by the looks Hawkeye kept sending the clock, Mustang was running late. Speak of the devil and he shall appear though. Mustang waltzed through the door, Nala just behind him.

"You're late, sir." Hawkeye's clipped voice informed the man. The man didn't even have the decency to look apologetic.

"I got caught in some traffic, Hawkeye," he lied smoothly.

"Havoc managed to get here on time and he lives close to you." Hawkeye's words told him she didn't believe him for a second. "Make sure it doesn't happen again. Your paperwork's on your desk." The 'don't bother whining' tone was very effective since all Mustang did was pull a face but head to do it anyway. Ed looked disappointed with the lack of reaction. Havoc noticed.

"Don't worry. Most mornings he's late it's not that civil," the blonde smoker soothed the boy. Ed grinned at him.

Finally having a chance too, he introduced Al and Chester to everyone he hadn't met yet. Like Fuery, none of the other's mentioned Al's armour or asked why he wore it. Ed had a sneaking suspicion that Havoc had told them the bullshit excuse they'd given him the day before. He sat next to Fuery and listened to the man tell him about how his project had ended up and what he was working on next. Al was talking to Falman and the others were busy working. Once Fuery had gotten the warning glance from Hawkeye, Ed got the chance to speak to Soren again.

The barn owl had all sorts of questions that Ed happily answered, with the exception of one. Soren had been disappointed that Ed wouldn't tell him how he'd gotten the new abilities but he hadn't pushed. Pretty soon the other Animals realised something was going on and demanded Soren tell them. Ed decided to simply let all the Animal's know in one go what he could do and some of the reactions were hilarious. Apparently, they hadn't believed Soren when he'd told them about Ed's abilities the previous day. Their reactions to the news were severe enough that their humans had noticed something was up and looked at their Animals with concern.

Ed spent most of the morning conversing with each Animal separately at some point. Rachel, Falman's ray, had been the one who was the most chill about Ed's abilities. Dubuffet had been extremely disbelieving, even after Ed spoke to him but by the end of the morning, he was one of the chattiest Animals. Fairly soon, Mustang had shown himself again and announced he was taking his lunch break. Ed and Al followed him out with a wave goodbye to everyone.

"Is there something I can help you with, Fullmetal?" Mustang asked without even turning around to face them.

"Yeah. Where's the library?" Ed asked immediately. He hadn't been able to ask anyone else.

"The library isn't near where I want to go for lunch. I can't show you," Mustang told him. He did only have a certain amount of time for lunch and Hawkeye wouldn't be so nice to him if he came back late for the second time today.

"First off, rude. Secondly, I didn't ask you to show us," Ed scoffed. "Nala, have you been there before?" Nala nodded her head. Mustang interrupted his next question.

"She's not going with you," Mustang exclaimed. Ed ignored him.

"Do you remember how it smelled?" Another nod. "Can you describe it to Ayala and Chester, please?" Nala caught on and did as requested. Last question. "Which direction is the library in?"

"Head that way," Mustang said, even though Ed was talking to Nala, and pointed in the direction of the library, having figured out what Ed was doing. Since Mustang refused to escort the brothers, they were doing the next best thing. They were going to find it with the two bits of information they got from the colonel and lioness.

 _"Okay, she's told us everything,"_ Ayala told him.

"Sweet as," Ed said in response. "Come on, Al. We've got a library to get to. Thanks, Nala!" Ed exclaimed as he and Ayala raced each other.

"Brother, wait for me! Thank you, Colonel Mustang and Nala." He bowed slightly in their direction before he and Chester were chasing after the other two. Mustang was impressed with the lack of noise Al made when moving at faster speeds. Mustang almost felt sorry for the librarians.

"Come on, Nala. Let's go get some lunch before Hawkeye shoots me." The lioness huffed in laughter as she followed her human.

* * *

Meanwhile, Al had finally caught back up with his brother and wolf. They all slowed down to a walk so they could take in their surroundings so they could find their way back to the dorm, or at least Mustang's office, from there they could find the dorms easily enough.

"Did you have to be rude to the Colonel, Ed?" Al sounded exasperated.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ed denied. He wasn't rude to Mustang. He just wasn't as polite as he could've been.

"Brother," Al sighed.

"What? It wasn't like he was the picture of politeness either!" Ed exclaimed. Ed could feel the flat look Al would've given him but thankfully Al just dropped the subject. Ed didn't see the point in showing someone more respect than what they show you and Alphonse knew that. Al was worried that this attitude might get Ed into trouble in the future but he also held on to the hope that Ayala would pull him into line when needed.

Ayala and Chester finally caught a hold of the scent Nala had described to them and both brothers moved with more vigour. They soon found themselves in a building that was almost the size of their dorm building, only much grander looking. Both brothers stood in front of the building and stared at it in awe and excitement. They knew there'd be more books in that library than they'd ever read and seen in their lives. Ed was the first to move. He flashed the soldier guarding the entrance his pocket-watch and both boys and Animals got their first look at the closest thing to heaven was.

Books lined hundreds of shelves as far as the eye could see. There were two levels to the library and several tables scattered throughout, obviously for those who planned to spend the whole day researching. They must've been standing there for a little too long because a librarian approached them. She was a larger woman with a pleasant face and nice smile. Her brunette hair was tied back in a braid and she carried some books she was obviously about to place in their spots when she spotted the two boys. Her name tag said her name was Allysha.

"May I help you two?" She adjusted her hold on the books and a squawk on her shoulder drew their attention to a medium sized bird that was a pretty mix of blue and purple. "Sorry, Bruce," she apologised to the bird. She turned her attention back to the blonde and the suit of armour.

"Ah, yes. Can you show us the section that would have information on the Philosopher's Stone please?" Ed asked, still looking at the mountains of books in front of him. Allysha frowned in thought.

"I'm not sure we have any books that discuss that topic but if we did, they'd be this way. Please follow me," she asked and spun on her heel and headed for the staircase leading to the second level. The boys and Animals followed dutifully behind her. They heard the blue and purple bird make a lot of noise; whistles, clicks, rings and other such noises.

"You're getting so good at those noises, Brucey!" Allysha said excitedly. Bruce fluffed himself up with pride.

"Excuse me, Miss?" Al got her attention. The librarian turned her head to look at him over her shoulder.

"Yes?" She asked as Bruce evidently decided her other shoulder was better spot and used her braid as a rope to achieve his goal.

"What type of bird is your Animal, if you don't mind me asking?" She smiled at him.

"I don't mind," she assured them. "He's a Princess Parrot," she said. Al looked a tad confused.

"We've never heard of them." She looked understanding.

"Yeah they're not written in every bird book for some reason." She sounded resigned.

"Why was he mimicking noises? I don't think I've met any type of bird who's tried mimicking any noise," Al asked curiously.

"Neither have I," Ed admitted. He was curious to know as well.

"He likes the noises and since there's not much of interest to a bird in the library, he does it to keep himself amused," she explained, coming to a stop in front of some really old looking books. "Here we are. If there's any information on the Philosopher's Stone, it'd be on these shelves. Please come find me if you need any more help." She smiled and turned to resume what she was doing before.

"Just one question, Miss," Ed said before she left. She looked at him for him to continue. "What time does the library close?"

"We don't," she said before explaining. "The libraries State Alchemists use throughout the country are kept open 24/7 since some alchemists might need information straight away at night. And please, call me Allysha. Was that all?" She asked.

"Yes, thank you. I'm Edward, or the Fullmetal Alchemist. This is my brother, Alphonse, my wolf, Ayala, and his leopard, Chester," Ed introduced them all. Allysha didn't react to him calling himself the Fullmetal Alchemist and Ed presumed that was because she'd heard the rumours that a kid had joined the military. She also didn't question or look twice at Al's armour, simply smiled at him.

"It's lovely to meet all of you. Please come and find me or have one of your Animals contact Bruce if you need any help." With that, she headed back down the staircase and the boys turned their attention to vast amounts of books in front of them. Both brothers took a moment to stand in front of the books and take in the sight before they started pulling books that looked promising and piling them on the nearest table.

A couple hours later, Allysha walked past them to return some books to their rightful places and found them pouring over some books, hidden behind two piles of books. She had a feeling that this might be a common sight and left them to it. When she finished her shift a few more hours later, the boys were still nose deep in their books. She figured they'd leave soon enough and headed home, Bruce taking the opportunity to stretch his wings.

* * *

When she came back in for her shift the next day, she was a little concerned to find both boys in the same spot as they were yesterday when she'd left. She just hoped they'd gone home and come back for an early start. They were the only people, aside from employees, in the library but that was a normal day for the librarians. The library was predominately for State Alchemists and there weren't a lot of them stationed in East City.

Around 10 in the morning she answered a phone call from Colonel Mustang's office asking after the Elric brother's. Considering Edward had introduced Al as his brother yesterday and they were the only ones in the library, Allysha informed the lady on the other end of the line that they were still here. The lady thanked her and hung up.

20 minutes later, a red-headed, stocky man turned up. He wasn't a State Alchemist, judging from the lack of pocket-watch so Allysha was curious as to why he was here. "Can I help you?" She approached the man, who stopped his searching look to give her his attention.

"Yes. Can you show me where the Elric brothers are please? I have orders from Colonel Mustang for them." She gestured for him to follow her and lead him to the table the boys had claimed as their own. They found them exactly how she'd seen them when she started this morning. The one wearing the armour had been the one to spot the soldier first.

"Good morning, Lieutenant Breda," Al greeted the man who grinned at him. Ed didn't show any sign of hearing the exchange. Ayala turned her golden eyes on the man and watched him, which unnerved him slightly.

"Good morning, Alphonse. Colonel Mustang has asked that Fullmetal accompany me back to his office," Breda informed him and Al nodded.

"Ed," he said, poking his brother's flesh shoulder. No reaction. "Edward." Still nothing except for the blonde turning the page. "Edward Elric!" Al's voice was raised slightly. Ed did nothing. Al sighed. "A little help, Ayala. I think he's gone deep this time," he asked.

Allysha was staring at the group in amusement and amazement. She'd never seen someone so effectively tune out the world when they read. She wondered if Ed could give her tips. Ayala huffed in amusement and turned her gaze from the Lieutenant to her human and stared at him. Breda wasn't sure what the wolf did but it caused Ed to startle and look up.

"Oh, hey Breda. When'd you get here?" Said man grinned at him.

"About five minutes ago. Mustang wants you in his office. Says he has something important to tell you," the man explained. Ed frowned a little.

"Wouldn't it have been more efficient for him to ask Nala to ask Ayala to tell me rather than send you out here?" It sounded a lot easier to Ed. Breda shrugged a shoulder.

"Probably but I'm not complaining. Gets me out of work for a bit." He flashed a good-natured grin at Ed who returned it and stood to start packing up his things. Allysha stepped forward.

"Don't worry about packing your books away. I'm assuming you plan on heading back here after this meeting?" Two nods confirmed her suspicion. "Then leave your books where they are. No one will disturb them while you're gone and it'll save you getting them back out," she promised.

"Thank you, Miss Allysha," both boys said gratefully.

"It's no problem," she assured them. "I assume you remember the way out?" Breda nodded and they headed off while she placed a note on the table so the other librarians wouldn't move their books.

* * *

The walk back to the office was a little longer than both boys remembered but then again they had ran most of the way to the library the previous day. They'd re-joined Breda's Animal, Du, at the bottom of the libraries staircase. Evidently, the little pig had decided to wait there rather than struggle up the stairs. They suspected Breda was going as slow as possible to draw out his freedom as much as he could.

They eventually made it back to the office though and as soon as both boys were through the door, Hawkeye was ushering them into Mustang's inner office before they had time to say a proper hello to everyone else. Mustang barely looked up from his paperwork, just gave them an order to sit on the couch and wait. Ed and Al had a sneaking suspicion that Mustang was behind on his paperwork considering how fast he was getting through and the warning look on Hawkeye's face before she left the office. At least Nala was happy to see them both.

 _"Hey, guys. How'd you find the library?"_ She asked, heading over to their couch to take up her spot next to the blonde.

"We found it easily. Thanks for telling Ayala and Chester what to look for," Ed told her.

 _"It was no problem. Is there any helpful information there?"_ She asked curiously. Ed looked a little unhappy at the question though.

"Not really. What we've found is mainly just rumours or theories that wouldn't work or things we already knew from that arsehole's journals. But we're not giving up. Even if East City doesn't hold the answers, Central or another library might." Edward may be the pessimistic brother but he refused to be anything but optimistic about finding a way to Al his body back. Nala could admire that.

 _"That's the spirit. I'm sure you'll find the answers,"_ she said encouragingly. Ed smiled at her in thanks just as Mustang signed the last of his papers for now with a flourish.

"Finally done. I'll be back in a moment." He gathered up the papers and headed out of the office, presumably to give them to Hawkeye. He was back within twenty seconds. He sat down on the opposite couch. "First things, were you in the library all night?"

"Yeah. So? There's no rule against it and Miss Allysha told us the library didn't close," Ed was immediately on the defensive.

"I'm assuming this will probably become a habit?" Mustang asked, ignoring Ed's defensive tone.

"More than likely," Al admitted when Ed didn't say anything.

"I can't really stop you from pulling all-nighters at the library. Well, I could technically order the librarians not to let you in but I won't because that would negate our deal. All I ask is that Ayala or Chester tells Nala so she can inform me so that I'm not sending men on a wild goose chase to hunt you down." Mustang had this fascinating way of making a request sound like an order.

"Fine, whatever. Is that all you wanted to talk to us about? If so, we've got research to get back too," Ed said, half-rising from his seat.

"No, that's not all." Ed sat back down with an irritated sigh. "Your bank accounts been finalised," he told him. Ed looked at Al and they both were fairly certain they knew what that meant.

"So that means...?" Ed left the question unfinished, needing Mustang to confirm their suspicions.

"You can now officially go on missions. I've already been sent several requests from other officers but I think I've found one you'll be happy with. There's been rumours of a red stone in the town over from where you'll be heading," Mustang said as he collected the file from his desk.

"So where are you sending us?" Ed asked, golden eyes alight with determination.

 **A/N - the revised chapter 12 for you all! Next week I will be posting chapters 13 & 14 for you guys. I'll be doing double-postings for 'Spirit Animals' for the next couple of weeks so that I can post chapter 25 of this story and 32 of 'Welcome to Amestris, Agents' on the same day. The week after that, I will be posting new chapters of 'Spirit Animals'. See you all next week!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13-**

As the outer office door flew open with a bang, Havoc considered the difference 15 months makes. Edward stomped his way in, pieces of papers crumbled in his hand, as he demanded to know if Mustang was here from the first person he made eye contact with. The teenager was covered in grime and blood and his hair was coming out of its braid. He looked super pissed off. Unfortunately, none of these things were considered alarming anymore. Except maybe the pissed off part. Ayala, Al and Chester filed through dutifully as Breda nodded his head in answer to Ed's question. Al was trying to get his brother to calm down before he reached Mustang's inner office door but to no avail. Chester and Ayala looked both resigned and amused as they followed their humans. Ayala had bit of blood in her fur and Havoc suspected the same with Chester but couldn't be certain thanks to the leopards colour. Hawkeye didn't even bother trying to intervene. She only did so when the nearly-14-year-old got really out of hand. Al had closed the door his brother had kicked open behind them but it did nothing to stop the raised voices from being heard.

Ed was exceptionally pissed off. Words couldn't describe the anger he felt right now. Honestly, it'd be a miracle if he found the stone before he strangled his commanding officer. Despite Al's protests, Ed hadn't stopped at their dorm to clean himself or the Animals up before coming here. He had a bone to pick with Mustang and he refused to leave it longer than strictly necessary. To his credit, Mustang barely flinched when his door was kicked open anymore these days. Nor did he flinch when he met the burning and infuriated gaze of his youngest subordinate.

"Good morning, Fullmetal. To what do I owe this pleasure?" Mustang admitted it was rather childish but he did so enjoy riling Ed up even more than he normally was when he came into his office. Ed threw the abused papers clutched in his fist onto Mustangs desk. Mustang smoothed the rumpled and slightly bloody papers out as much as possible and realised it was Ed's report. He'd recognise that chicken scratch anywhere.

"YOU'RE A RIGHT BASTARD, YOU KNOW THAT? I DON'T GIVE TWO FLYING FUCKS WHAT KINDS OF DANGER YOU SENT ME INTO UNPREPARED BUT IF YOU EVER HOLD BACK INFORMATION LIKE THIS AGAIN, I WILL SKIN YOU!" Ed's fury rolled off him in thick waves. Al was trying to get his brother to calm down but Ed was clearly not interested in listening. Nala had been fully awoken by the volume and was glaring at Mustang for whatever he'd done to make Ed so angry thus causing her nap to be interrupted. Mustang would've found this amusing but he was slightly confused by what the blonde had yelled at him.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Fullmetal. I didn't withhold any information from you about your last mission." Ed snorted in disbelief and crossed his arms as he just looked at Mustang with an expression that screamed 'bullshit'.

"Seriously? You expect me to believe that you had no idea that not only was that lunatic an alchemist but that he was an alchemist who _specifically targeted Animals_?!" The black haired man's mask slipped as he looked at Ayala and the impressive amount of blood on her fur and put two and two together.

"You both survived so I don't really see the point of this tantrum." Mustang told him coolly. He'd honestly not known about the facts that he was an alchemist or that he targeted Animals. He would've told Ed if he had but the kid didn't need to know that. He'd be having a talk with Investigations though. Ed's anger intensified.

"The point is, that psycho had more information about us than we had about him! Ayala almost died because we didn't know to look for traps targeting Animals! She's only alive because Chester managed to knock her aside just enough that her wound was non fatal! Not to mention, I couldn't heal her until we'd dealt with him and the fact that he targeting the Animals meant I had to take him on solo while Al was protecting Ayala and Chester." Ed ranted at him. "Ayala almost died because I almost got taken down because we didn't have all the pertinent information. I don't care if that was your fault or the fault of whoever gave you the mission to give to me. Make sure it doesn't happen again." Ed's voice had grown quiet but no less angry. Even Nala was taken back by the intense emotion in his voice. Mustang looked at Ed and sighed.

"Look, Fullmetal, I didn't know that he used his alchemy that way. I assumed you would've heard he was an alchemist before you ran into him. Obviously I will be talking to the people who sent the request for an alchemist. That sort of information should've been made available to everyone, especially the alchemist assigned to the case. Had I have known, I would've told you. Even I'm not that much of a bastard." Ed's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Alphonse, Ayala and Chester had been trying to tell him the whole train ride that they din't believe Mustang would intentionally keep that sort of information from any of them. Even his gut was telling him Mustang was as clueless as he was. Ed had been so ropeable that he refused to believe and right now he was on the fence. So he asked the only person in the room who he knew would tell him the absolute truth.

"Nala?" He looked at the lioness, not even needing to ask the question.

 _"He's telling the truth, Ed. And even if he wasn't, I would've told you myself but neither of us knew."_ She spoke softly and truthfully. Ed visibly relaxed. Mustang watched the whole exchange with interest. There was something odd about Ed and Nala's relationship and Mustang was dying to figure it out. He wasn't sure when he first noticed but when he'd asked Nala all he got was a thoroughly amused feeling from her. When Ed relaxed, the whole room seemed to relax with him. Now, instead of looking excessively angry and close to murder, he just looked exhausted. A pang of worry ran through the older alchemist as he took in the young blonde's condition now that he wasn't on a rampage. Blood was matted in his hair and he was favouring his left side, indicating a bruised side at the very least. His red jacket was darker in some spots where blood and dirt had stained it. His clothing was torn in places and Mustang was sure that almost every tear would have an underlying scratch or cut to accompany it. He was sure there were more injuries he couldn't see, considering the blonde's past record of keeping injuries from himself and his brother, if at all possible.

"You said you were almost taken down. What are your injuries?" Mustang asked, eyes trying to decipher his subordinates report. He was sure Ed wrote like this on purpose.

"They're in the report." Meaning the injuries Al and Mustang could see or had witnessed were in the report. "Just make sure vital information isn't left out of my mission summaries. Come on, Al. We gotta get cleaned up and to the library. Miss Allysha has found some new books for us." Ed said as he headed towards the door.

"Fullmetal." Mustang called out, making the boy stop and turn around. "This isn't an acceptable report. I expect a clean copy by the end of tomorrow." He said as he held up the filthy original. Ed snarled and left the room. Mustang sighed. Maybe the kid would be a bit more open once he'd gotten some sleep. At the very least, he might not be able to hide all his injuries thus being forced to answer Mustang truthfully when he pressed the issue.

"I am sorry for his behaviour, Colonel." Al apologised, pausing before he followed his brother, both Animals having gone ahead. Both alchemists could hear Ed reassuring the others that he was perfectly fine and answer any questions they had about why he was yelling.

"Don't worry about it. I'm giving him a pass this time. I think my reaction would've been similar if our places had been traded. How badly hurt is he?" Mustang asked the armoured boy. Al hesitated, weighing up the pros and cons of answering.

"I don't know for sure. I was too busy guarding the Animals and trying to disarm the traps that were around us before Chester got caught in one. I know Ed was thrown into a wall at one point. That's how he got the head injury. By the time I'd disabled the traps, Ed was done with him. I didn't get to ask him anything until after he'd healed Ayala and Chester and by that time, he claimed he was just tired from healing them both." He sighed.

"Wait, he healed Ayala _and_ Chester?" Mustang was dumbfounded. He certainly hadn't expected that. Al shifted guiltily.

"Yeah. I wasn't supposed to tell anyone that ever." Mustang was extremely curious now. He was about to ask when Ed popped his head back through the door.

"Al, what're you waiting for? Let's go!" With a quiet thank you for Ed's excellent accidental diversion and a quick goodbye to Mustang, Ed and Al headed for their dorms. While Ed had been all for heading to the library as soon as he was done yelling at Mustang, Al pointed out that he might not be allowed in considering how filthy he was. Not to mention the fact that the blood might cause some people to panic a little. Once they made it to the dorms, Al handed Ed the first aid kit they'd ended up putting together the third time Ed had gotten himself injured and refused to go see a doctor about it. Al had been very argumentative about it but Ed placated him by agreeing to read all the medical books they could find, preparing several first aid kits and agreeing that if he ever lost consciousness or broke a bone or the injury was beyond either of their capabilities, Ed would go to a hospital with no complaining. Once he'd shut the bathroom door, he stripped and took a good look at his injuries in the mirror. The alchemist they'd gone up against had only been armed with a common boning knife but he was rather efficient at using it. Ed had a downward gash running from the mid of his rib cage down to just below his belly button on his right side. The jackets had done a good job at hiding that injury. He also knew he was going to be some pretty colours tomorrow once the bruising set in properly. Aside from the gash, the cut on his head from it connecting forcibly with a brick wall and some cracked ribs, he only had minor scrapes. He quickly showered, shampooed the blood out of his hair, cleaned and patched his wounds before changing clothes and letting Ayala and Chester in so they could get a bath. Once clean and finished assuring Al he was completely fine, Ed was finally on his way to the library. Ayala accompanied him but Al and Chester had decided they all needed food so they went to find some lunch.

Al entered the library only half an hour later, carrying four bags of food. He always bought food for himself to avoid Miss Allysha asking questions. There was only so many times someone could say they'd already eaten or weren't hungry before people got suspicious of never seeing them with food. He found Edward at their usual table with more books than what they'd left before. The librarians had decided to save the boys trouble and reserved the table for them so it was always available to them considering they spent every spare moment in the library. This also meant they could leave their books out and know they'd still be there when they got back. Ed was happy to see his brother and the food. Train food really wasn't that good. Once they'd all eaten and the rubbish had been disposed of, they dug into their research. A few hours into it, Al interrupted Ed and made him re-write his report, like Mustang had instructed. Ed did so with immense complaining. Al tuned it out. He'd had a lot of practise at doing that this past year. His brother had been required to rewrite his report more often than not and Al was convinced he was doing it to annoy Mustang on purpose. Ed scrawled out a new report and turned his attention back to the book sitting in front of him. Over a year of access to one of the biggest and best libraries in Amestris and they'd only learned trivial things about the stone. Nothing about how to find or make one for themselves and Ed would be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed. He hadn't expected to find an answer straight away or even within a year but he had hoped they'd have made more process than this. The frustration at the lack of readily available information and the rumours that always amounted to nothing had resulted in a few bouts of doubt but Al, Chester and Ayala had always brought his hopes back up. They weren't disturbed by any librarians until the next day when Miss Allysha had interrupted them with a message from Colonel Mustang's office, reminding Ed that he needed to hand his report in before the end of the work day. Ed asked Nala to pass along a message telling Mustang to go fuck himself, something Nala did even if she did change the wording to something a little nicer. She sent back an image of him smirking and Ed growled. It was a dream of his to punch that smirk off of Mustang's face. Maybe he'd do that after the headache that had been getting steadily worse since yesterday disappeared.

Half an hour before Mustang normally knocked off, Ed and Ayala made their way to his office. Al wanted to go with him, mainly to ensure his brother didn't do something stupid, but Ed told him there was no point in both of them going. The benefit of going to the office so close to knock off time meant that Ed wasn't likely to be forced to stay long since Mustang would be eager to escape the invisible chains of his desk. The less time Mustang and Ed were in each others company, the better. Havoc and Hawkeye were the only other members of the team left in the office. With a quick glance at the clock, Ed was satisfied to find there were just 10 minutes left in the work day so he was definitely not late. With a quick hello to the remaining humans and Animals in the office, he went straight into Mustang's inner office with his usual style. Mustang looked up at his entrance, as did Nala.

"Cutting it rather short there, aren't you, Fullmetal?" Mustang drawled. Nala shot him a flat look, something Ed mimicked. While he ordinarily would've blown up at the not-so-subtle short joke, right now his head hurt far too much to do so. Instead, he put his report on Mustang's desk and sprawled himself out on the unoccupied couch.

"How long did it take you to think of that one? Maybe I should tell Miss Riza you've got time on your hands." Ed quipped back, effectively causing Mustang to blanch. Nala laughed as she made her way over to her favourite blonde's side. Ayala, knowing exactly where her human hurt, which was pretty much everywhere, decided to curl up above his head since he was resting his feet on the armrest, something he knew irked Mustang to no end. Nala settled for sitting next to his head and taking careful inventory of his behaviour. He distracted her momentarily by scratching her beind her ear where she liked it best.

 _"That bruise looks nasty."_ She pointed out when he placed his hand a little carefully on his gut. He glanced at her, amusement causing his eyes to twinkle.

"Which one?" He half-joked. Neither Animal was amused. Mustang was used to hearing these one-side conversations and continued perusing the report in front of him.

 _"The one that's surrounding that cut on your head."_ Nala deadpanned. Ed snorted.

"That's what happens when a nutbag throws you into a wall instead of cooperating." Ed stated curtly. Nala winced.

 _"How bad?"_ Nala asked. Ed cracked an eye open to look at her and she decided to elaborate. _"How badly were you all hurt?"_

"Ah. Well, Al got out of it fine, obviously. Chester got his shoulder sliced open but it was relatively shallow. Ayala coped the worst. She got impaled through the shoulder. It took forever for it to heal. We got lucky no arteries got hit. I just got the head injury and a couple cracked ribs." She rolled her eyes. He coulda been talking about the weather instead of injuries he suffered.

 _"So how are you feeling? You musta spent a fair amount of energy healing them both."_ She asked, ignoring the obvious downplay of his injuries. Ed frowned at her.

"Both of them?" He didn't remember telling her that he had to heal Chester whenever he got injured instead of Al.

 _"Whoops. Al accidentally let it slip yesterday that you healed both of them."_ She told him and he groaned.

"So Mustang knows?" Said man lifted his head up when he heard his name. He'd been following the conversation, at least the part he could hear, as well as reading the report, which he was now done with. Nala must've confirmed he knew. "Fuck. Does he know why or how yet?"

 _"No. I think he was going to ask but you interrupted."_ She left out the part where Mustang planned to corner the younger Elric and demand answers.

"Thank fuck. I've gotta talk to Al before he makes that mistake again. I can't have anything like that becoming public knowledge." He rubbed his flesh hand over his face and sighed, wincing when he accidentally touched the sensitive bruise. Ayala whined in sympathy and licked his cheek, something he grumbled at but didn't actually mind. He knew it was basically her mothering instincts at work.

 _"Back to my original question; how are your energy levels?"_ She asked. This was important to know. If he was too exhausted from healing Chester and Ayala, Mustang couldn't send him on missions. It'd be way too dangerous.

"I'm fine. Like I said, Chester's injury wasn't that big and I have an abnormally large amount of Ayala's energy stored in me for some reason. Healing that wound barely made a dent." He was being 100% truthful but Nala still looked at Ayala for confirmation, which she got. Mustang and Nala both sighed in relief. Mustang was about to speak for the first time since he greeted Ed but a knock at his door diverted his attention.

"Enter." Hawkeye and Havoc both stepped through the door and saluted the Colonel. Ed couldn't actually see this from where he was laying on the couch but he knew the routine by now. "Leaving, Lieutenants?"

"Yes, sir. Do you need anything before we go?" Hawkeye was the one to answer but Ed could hear a set of footsteps approaching. He opened his eyes to see Havoc peering at him from over the back of the couch.

"How's it going, Chief?" Ed grinned up at the nickname. He still wasn't sure why the guys called him that and they refused to explain when he asked.

"Not much. Waiting for Colonel Bastard to be finished with my report so I can go back to the library and Al." Ed said loud enough for Mustang to hear.

"Maybe if it didn't look like it was written by a three year old, I would've been done sooner." Mustang shot back, unable to resist.

"I could've typed that shit up and you'd still be taking forever to read it. Anything to get out of paperwork, isn't that right?" Ed knew he won by the way Havoc was laughing. If his head didn't hurt, he would've sat up to look at both Hawkeye and Mustang's faces. He settled for silently fist-bumping Havoc, slightly wincing at the pull on his ribs. Havoc noticed.

"You okay, chief? Do you want me to take a look at your head?" Ed raised a brow in a silent question. "I've got medical training." Havoc answered the unspoken question. Ed looked impressed. He debated and eventually nodded. If anything, it'd get Al off his back when he tells him Havoc had a look and is qualified to do so. Said blonde moved around to the front of the couch, prompting Nala to move out of the way, and crouched so he was eye level with Ed, who proceeded to carefully sit himself up. He pulled his small tool kit out of his pocket and grabbed out the little penlight in it. Both blondes didn't notice Mustang and Hawkeye stop their argument, which Mustang was losing, so they could see what Havoc had to say.

"Have you got a headache?" Nod. "Do you feel dizzy?" Shake. "Nauseous?" Another shake. "Have you cleaned it out properly?" Nod. "Have you eaten today?" Nod. "Any other injuries you want me to look at?" Ed smirked at him. Points for trying.

"Nope. I'm fine." Ed smiled at Havoc, who didn't look convinced but didn't push the issue.

"Okay. You didn't lose consciousness with the head injury?" He asked.

"No. I was a bit dizzy but I was fine after we stopped the guy." Ed said honestly.

"Okay. You don't have a concussion, which is good. Take some painkillers for that headache and keep the wound clean but open so it heals properly. And make sure you bind those ribs properly." He added, making Ed look a tad stunned. "I noticed the way you held them when you sat up." He grinned, which Ed returned somewhat sheepishly.

"Thanks Havoc." Havoc ruffled his hair, carefully avoiding the cut, and causing Ed to glare at him and Havoc to laugh at the reaction. Both Hawkeye and Havoc soon left, Ed having called out goodbyes and Mustang quietly thanking Havoc and getting threats from Hawkeye about the paperwork still on his desk. Nala took up a new spot on the other side of Ed now that he was sitting up.

"Are you done yet?" Ed couldn't quite keep the whine out of his voice. He knew Mustang did this on purpose because he never seemed to take this long with his reports when Al was with him.

"Well even though this has to be one of your shorter reports, it still took a while to decipher your handwriting. But yes, I am done." Mustang was nice enough to not mention the childish tone Ed had used.

"Fantastic. Let's go, Aya." He said as he stood up. A little too quickly it seemed when he stumbled a bit from the head spin he got. "I'm good." He said in response to Ayala's whine.

"I didn't say you could go." Mustang pointed out. Ed shot him a look that said 'are you fucking serious?' and groaned when he realised that Mustang was.

"What's the problem?" He asked exasperatedly, crossing his arms defiantly and winced when his automail accidentally pressed up against the gash on his side. And, just because his luck was that good, Mustang noticed.

"For starters, you've left information out of your report. No mention of how you managed to get the upper hand in that fight. Also, you're hiding injuries. Don't bother denying it." He saw Ed open his mouth to deny he was. "So you're not leaving until you tell me the truth."

"There's nothing to tell! That's why it's not in the report!" Ed complained.

"I'm sure I've said this before but you can't pick what goes in your report. Everything has to be in the report. So, what happened?" Mustang asked as he propped his elbows on his desk and rested his chin in his folded hands, watching his youngest subordinate with eagle eyes. Said subordinate sighed and sat back down. "As much as I'd like to go home, Fullmetal, I will sit here until you decide to tell me what I want to know. I'm sure Al would like you back sooner rather than later as well." Ed really hated the fact that Mustang had no problem using Al against him. Another reason 'Colonel Bastard' was such an accurate nickname for the Flame Alchemist. He sighed before turning to Ayala.

"Tell Chester what's going on so Al doesn't panic. We've already been here forever. I'm surprised Chester already hasn't contacted us." Ed rubbed her behind the ears before turning his attention to his CO. "What do you wanna know?" He glared at Mustang, ya know, just to make sure the arsehole knew he wasn't happy.

"How you managed to turn the fight to your favour and arrest him. You mentioned before that you were almost taken down. That's pretty much written in your report but then it simply goes on to say that you managed to knock him down and alchemically bind his hands with something that you obviously wrote in code." Mustang relaxed into his chair and waited.

"Get some glasses or some shit, old man. I clearly wrote that I alchemised some of the flooring over his wrists." Ed snarked. Mustang didn't rise to the jab about his age and gestured for him to continue. Ed was kind of disappointed at the lack of response but continued. "I was already hurt. I was trying to defend myself and stop him attacking the Animals at the same time. Al was too busy trying to disarm the surrounding traps so Chester and Ayala didn't get hurt more than they had already and he couldn't do that and stop oncoming attacks. That's how he'd been fighting since Ayala got injured at the start so I was caught off guard when he aimed an actual attack at me. It threw me into a wall and I was disorientated for a few moments. He managed to get the knife against my throat. Ayala was going crazy and I think he looked away from me to make sure she couldn't do anything to protect me. I grabbed the wrist of the arm that was holding the knife with my automail arm and squeezed. When I broke his wrist, he automatically dropped his knife and I managed to land a punch. I knocked him out and secured him." Ed finished his telling of events and leaned back into the couch.

"Why didn't you just put that in your report?" Mustang had though he'd done something illegal or something for it to not be in the report.

"Because that meant extra writing. I figured what I'd put would be good enough. Shoulda known better." Ed sighed before his attention was captured by something only he could hear. "Nah I'll get dinner once Mustang realises he still has a tower of paperwork he promised to finish and lets me go so he can get it done asap." Mustang was about to say something back but Ed frowned a little before talking again. "Well what would you like for dinner and I'll get that." Suddenly, the way Ed worded that seemed to spark an idea in Mustang's head. He was going to have to talk to Nala once they got home to confirm his suspicions. He pulled himself out of that train of thought to catch the last of Ed's question. "any other questions?"

"Yes. The full extent of your injuries, Fullmetal." He used his 'this isn't a debate' voice. Ed groaned for the umpteenth time this afternoon.

"Why? I'm not going to drop dead from them." Ed argued. "It's not like you care anyway." He muttered. Mustang kept his mask in check. He did care. He really did. He just couldn't show it and he knew Ed would never believe him if he did tell him.

"I need to know what injuries you've suffered so I don't send you on a mission that could get you killed because you couldn't defend yourself properly. You aren't worth the paperwork I'd get if you died and I'm sure reaching your goal would become infinitely harder if you are dead." Another thing Ed hated about Mustang? His ability to point out things Ed couldn't argue against.

"Ugh, fine. A fair amount of bruising, some minor cuts, the head injury, two or three cracked ribs and I've got a decent cut on my arm." Mustang looked at him for a moment.

"What side are your cracked ribs on?" Ed was happy that Mustang hadn't realised he'd only told him most of his injuries so he answered without a fuss.

"Left." Mustang nodded and Ed had though that'd be the end of it before...

"So what injury are you hiding on your right side?" Fuck.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Ed denied as he stood up to once again try and leave. Mustang stood to block his escape.

"Really? So why'd you flinch when your automail put pressure on that side when you crossed your arms before?" Mustang hadn't forgotten. Ed knew he wouldn't be fooled but Ed was no quitter.

"I did mention bruises. I just forgot about them." Mustang's eyebrow raised in disbelief.

"Except you never reported any injuries on that side. And," he pressed his hand on Ed's right side suddenly. His thumb hit the gash on Ed's gut, causing Ed to hiss in pain and stumble back a couple steps to escape the pain. Mustang was also forced to back up when Ayala launched herself across the couch, snarling and snapping, making herself eye level with the older man by standing with her front paws on the arm rest. Mustang had to admit that being on the receiving end of the golden wolf's feral expression again was not something he'd actively seek out. Even Nala was surprised by the intensity of the wolf's protectiveness, although Nala also didn't expect her human to do what he did.

"Easy, Aya. I'm alright." Ed gasped out as he pressed his flesh hand against the reopened wound. Mustang had reopened only a small part of the wound but Ed's reflexive retreat had caused more of the gash to open. It took a moment but he eventually got his pained breathing under control and straightened up. He pulled away the hand clamped over the wound and check the white glove for the amount of blood. He silently thanked his past self for bandaging the wound as well as he did because he only had a small amount of blood on the glove. Although, the fact he'd bled through the bandage was not a good sign. Ayala had stopped outright snarling and had even leapt down from the couch so she could fuss over him. That didn't stop the wolf from growling when Mustang or Nala tried to approach her human. Her growling did remind Ed why he was bleeding. "What the actual fuck, Mustang?!" He did a pretty good job at mimicking Ayala's snarl.

"Just bruising, huh?" Mustang wasn't impressed. He did regret causing the teenager more pain however he wasn't happy with the fact the blonde had tried to hide an injury as serious as that one seemed even after Mustang having pointed out why it was important he knew all injuries the blonde suffered. Ed at least had the decency to look slightly ashamed.

"I said it was nothing major." The blonde said angrily. Mustang sighed, annoyed.

"That reaction tells me different. The fact that it caused you to pull away like that, Ayala's reaction and the fact that you're bleeding through the bandage tells me it's a serious injury you should've had Havoc, if not a proper doctor, look at it." Mustang wasn't accepting any of the usual crap Ed would normally pull. He was too angry at his subordinate. Yes, the short-tempered alchemist already had an impressive medical record built up from his year and a bit in the military but he always tried everything to get out of even going. Being unconscious or Al and/or Ayala begging him to go were the only ways he stepped foot inside the building. If the injury could be hidden easily or no one had noticed him getting it, he'd do his absolute best to pretend it was nothing and Mustang was sick of it. He was going to get himself killed because he underestimated the severity of an injury. Ed was refusing to meet his eyes. Mustang rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Show me." That got Ed's attention.

"Wh-what?" Even Ayala looked stunned. Though the stunned look didn't quite override her pissed off look.

"Let me take a look at it." Mustang said slowly, as though speaking to a child. Ed didn't appreciate the attitude.

"Gee, let me think about that. No." He looked at Mustang like he was crazy for even asking.

"Don't make me make it an order, Fullmetal. Let me look at that injury." Ed faltered at the threat. If Mustang made it an order, he could get court-martialled for disobeying it and that wouldn't end well. Ed stayed defiant though.

"Why should I?" It was a good question. As far as he was concerned, someone he didn't like, who'd already reopened the wound and had no medical training was asking him to let him near it. Mustang almost growled at the stubbornness he continued to show.

"Because someone other than you needs to look at it and make sure it's okay. I may not have as much medical training as Havoc but I do still have training." The main reason he wanted to this though was simply to show the blonde teenager that he could trust him. Trust was not something the Elric brothers gave freely. He knew the brothers trusted everyone on the team, including himself, to some degree but not a single person outside of each other, their Animals or the Rockbell women earned their complete trust. Ed looked at Nala for something. The lioness must've said something to remove any doubt because the blonde relented.

"Fine. Ayala, you'll need to move out of his way." His eyes locked with those of his wolf and Mustang could see the reluctance she felt but she did as she was asked, even though she did send him a warning glare. Mustang realised he'd have to apologise to her as well. Ed carefully removed his two jackets and placed them on the armrest before Mustang finished approaching him.

"Lift up your shirt." The Colonel instructed and Ed did so. Carefully, Mustang removed the blood soaked bandage and winced in sympathy as he got a good look at it. "Nala, can you go grab the first aid kit?" As she padded out of the room to do so, Mustang manourvered the two of them so the light actually shone on the wound. Nala soon returned and, with a thank you, Mustang relieved her of her burden. Rifling through it, he produced some alcohol swabs and proper bandages. Opening the alcohol swabs up, he turned to the waiting blonde. "I need to clean it out before I put new bandages on it. You're lucky it doesn't need stitches and it never got infected."

"Whatever. Just do it." Edward was really not in the mood to be lectured. He was still annoyed at himself for even agreeing to let Mustang do this. Damned persuasive lionesses. He twitched when the first alcohol swab made contact with the exposed muscle but he didn't show any other signs of discomfort. Mustang knew how much pain the kid was actually in but that didn't mean he wasn't going to be thorough. 20 swabs later, he was finally ready to bandage it back up. He placed two lots of gauze over it before wrapping it up and letting Ed pull his shirt back down and pull his jackets back on.

"Next time you get an injury like that, tell me or Havoc. That's an order. Here's some painkillers for that headache you told Havoc about." He watched the blonde accept the pills and dry swallow them. "That's all, Fullmetal. You're dismissed." The way Ed's shoulders slumped told Roy just how tense he'd been. He wondered if the boy had been expecting a lecture or something. The blonde wasted no time in rushing to the door, saying goodbye to Nala as he went, Ayala close by him. Mustang busied himself with cleaning up the used medical supplies when he noticed Ed stop just before he went through the door.

"Thanks, Mustang." Was all Roy heard before the blonde was gone and he heard slightly mis-matched footsteps racing through the empty halls. Well, thanks from Fullmetal? Maybe staying after hours wasn't so bad after all. He finished cleaning up and headed back to his desk with renewed vigour. Nala curled up at his side and that's when he remembered something.

"Say, Nala?" His lioness lifted her eyes to look at him. "How long have you and Fullmetal been able to talk to one another?" Her expression and the mix of surprise, disbelief and general 'busted' feelings he got from her were all the confirmation he needed.

After a side trip to grab dinner, Ed and Ayala made it back to the library. They greeted the librarian on duty, a lovely woman named Cassie who had a beautiful Palamino named Tonka as her Animal, and found his brother and leopard at their usual table. Once he'd fed everyone, eaten his own dinner and expertly dodged Al's questions, he threw himself back into their research and tuned everything and everyone, excluding the Animals, out. He devoured page after page, book after book until he was brought back to the present by the delicious smell that was wafting from somewhere nearby. His stomach growled in anger at the lack of food being in it and he looked up to find his brother approaching with breakfast, if the clock on the wall behind Al was accurate.

"This is why you're my favourite brother." Ed drooled as Al handed him his and Ayala's share. Ayala whole heartedly supported that statement.

"I'm your only brother, Ed." Al said, amused at his brother's lack of manners as he dug through the food Al bought him. Alphonse shifted nervously as he prepared himself to ask his brother something he'd been thinking about for a while. Ed noticed.

"What's wrong?" Ed asked, after swallowing the mouthful of food he was chewing through.

"Um, there's something I want to ask you. A favour, really." Al said, still nervous. Ed frowned.

"Okay. Spit it out than." Ed paused in his eating to look at his brother curiously. He didn't understand why his brother seemed so nervous.

"Well, I was wondering if we could go back to Resembool and see Granny and Winry? We haven't seen them in forever and I know they want to see us. Winry sounded really excited about something when I spoke to her last but she didn't want to tell me over the phone." Al was nearly stumbling over his words in his rush to get them out.

"Al, if you want to go visit Granny and Winry, you can go anytime you want. You know that." Ed was confused. They'd had this argument alreay, nearly a month after they completed their first mission and were halfway through their third, when Al complained about missing Resembool. Ed had pointed out that since he wasn't a member of the military he could go back to Resembool whenever he wanted. Al had argued that he didn't want to without Ed and Ed argued back that unless he had a problem with his automail or they had a mission near Resembool, he couldn't go back whenever he wanted. He told Al he didn't mind if he went back and visited in between missions but Al had said it wouldn't be right if Ed wasn't with him and he'd be too busy worrying if his older brother actually ate and slept if he left him alone for a couple of days or more. Ed hadn't been impressed with that argument, no matter how much Ayala assured him it was true.

"I know but I don't want to leave you by yourself while you're injured." Al started saying.

"I'm fine!" Ed interrupted.

"Sure you are. And Winry sounded really excited about whatever she wouldn't tell me. Like, _really_ excited." Al said, leaving his brother to connect the dots. It took him a moment but understanding lit in Ed's eyes.

"You think her Animal's appeared?" Ed asked, not overly convinced. If Winry's Animal had appeared, they would've heard her excited screams all the way from Resembool. She'd been exceedingly excited about getting her Animal as soon as she'd met Ayala. When she didn't get her Animal but saw Al had, she had gotten rather upset though she did a valiant job hiding it. Ed knew she was getting frustrated that she was nearly 14 and she still hadn't had her indication dream. She never said anything but Ed would've had to have been blind to have missed the envious and sad looks she shot Ayala anytime she thought nobody could see her. Al was shaking his head.

"No. I don't think she'd have been able to keep it to herself if it had actually appeared. No, I think she'd started having her dreams. I spoke to her last night, while you were still with Mustang. She'd mentioned that she'd been sleeping longer than usual and you and I both know that she'll only sleep as long as she needs too. She's too busy with her automail orders now that people know the People's Alchemist has automail made by her." Ed rolled his eyes at his little brother's teasing. He still wasn't sure how he felt about that nickname he'd been given by the Amestrian citizens. The nickname meant that he was the only alchemist that everyday citizens were normally happy to cooperate with but it's also put several targets on his back. Al continued. "You and I both know that sometimes the dreams cause people to sleep longer than normal if their normal sleeping habits aren't long enough. You and I both got just enough sleep that we weren't affected by the dreams but she's been so busy that she's living off of four hours a night and cat naps during the day. Now she's getting a solid eight hours a night and she's super excited about it? I think something's up and it doesn't take a genius like us to put two and two together." Al finished explaining and Ed had to admit that his brother made a lot of sense. He'd honestly forgotten about that dream fact.

"I'll talk to Mustang. I'll see if we can go for a visit when I'm assigned my next mission. I'll say I need to go for maintenance or something like that after we complete the mission. It's been a few months so it'll be legit. Plus, even Mustang would have to think twice about denying me the leave. He'd be risking my automail possibly malfunctioning during a mission and then having to listen to me bitch about it." Ed smirked as he imagined that scene. He wondered...

 _"No."_ Ayala said, not even looking up from her post-breakfast nap.

"Spoilsport." Ed sent back, pouting slightly. Ayala just chuckled at him. Al didn't comment.

"Really, brother? You promise?" Al had expected Ed to say he'd think about it or that their research was more important at the moment. He knew his brother wanted to go back to Resembool as much he did but he also knew that their research and goal had to come first. It was why he was so hesitant to ask in the first place. He didn't want Ed to have to say that he couldn't go because he knew Ed would feel guilty when Al refused to go with him.

"Of course I do, Al. I'll talk to him when he calls me in for my next briefing." Ed promised. "Besides, I'll probably end up needing maintenance after my next mission. With the amount of beatings I've gotten since my last check-up, I'm surprised Winry hasn't sensed the damage and yelled at me." He swore that woman had some sort of magic ability to figure out when his automail was badly damaged. It was uncanny the way he'd get a phone call from the wrench-wielding nutbag whenever his automail got noticeable damage.

"By the way, brother. When is your next mission? Did the Colonel give you any indication?" Al asked after laughing at his brother's expression.

"Nah, you know that lazy bastard. He probably hasn't found the file he's meant to give me with all that paperwork on his desk." Ed said dismissively. "Best use what little time off we get wisely." Ed pointedly went back to the books. Al sighed and followed his lead until both Animals complained of boredom a few hours later.

"Come on, brother! Let's go for a walk! We could do with the fresh air." Al begged when Ed had said he'd hang back and keep studying. It took the added pressure of Chester and Ayala asking and Ayala using puppy-dog eyes for him to finally agree to go. They left their gear and headed for the park so Chester and Ayala could take advantage of the wide open space without fear of being hit by a car. Ed had to admit; it was nice just sitting on the grass, watching his wolf frolick like a puppy with Chester while Al was laughing at their antics. He was lying on the ground, happy to just relax and watch the sky and listen to the various noises around him when his sight was blocked by a pig. Startled by the unexpected sight, Ed sat up too quickly and jostled his ribs and bruises, causing him to gasp in pain and clutch his side reflexively.

 _"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to startle you!"_ The pig, who he'd now identified as Breda's Animal, squealed in his head. Ayala had already started her race back to Ed's side when he'd startled and was already there, looking perplexed.

"I'm okay, Ayala and, Du, it's okay. I should've heard you. It's all good." He smiled down at the stricken pig, who was also eyeing Ayala a tad warily. All the Animals and most of the humans on Mustang's team knew how protective Ayala was over Ed. She was protective of Al and Chester too and she was even protective of them to a certain degree but she was downright terrifying when something happened to Ed. They'd never seen this side of her but they'd heard stories from Chester and that was scary enough. Ed distracted him from his thoughts. "Where's Breda?" He asked, looking around for the slightly chubby, red haired man.

 _"He's coming now. He didn't see me leave, actually."_ The pig added, sheepishly. Ed quirked a brow.

"So, for all he knows, you've run away?" Ed really did try to keep the amusement out of his voice, he really did.

 _"Well, not exactly. See, we stopped over there and I saw you, well I saw Ayala and knew you were near by 'cuz I could sense you, so I kinda just shouted your name at him before I took off so I think he knows what's happened but I'm not too sure."_ The spotted pig guiltily explained. Ed couldn't stop himself from laughing and neither could Ayala as they imagined the look on Breda's face when his pig suddenly took off after shouting Ed's name at full volume. Chester and Al had finally decided they were curious enough to find out what was going on but their approach was beaten by a puffing Breda.

"DUBUFFET! Don't ever take off like that again!" He lectured the pig when he could breath easily again. Dubuffet looked the epitome of ashamed and Ed could tell he was apologising to his worried human. Ed took the time to stand up and the movement caught Breda's eye. He looked at the golden haired boy in surprise. Even though Du had shouted Ed's name and he'd even seen Ed for himself, he had honestly not registered that the boy was even there until just now. "Chief! What a surprise to see you out and about! I thought you'd be holed up in the library for as long as possible." Breda remarked. Ed scratched the back of his neck and grinned.

"Yeah, you'd have been right but these three convinced me fresh air might actually do me some good so here we are." He admitted. "What are you doing here anyway? I didn't realise you two liked the park."

"Ah well, you see, that cart over there," he indicated in the general direction, "serves the best ice-cream in this city so we always go there when we're in this area." Breda explained. It was no secret that Breda loved his ice-cream and his Animal was the exact same way. Ed and Al chuckled as Breda grinned, a little embarrassed.

"How have you guys been going with your research? Your head's looking better too." He remarked as he looked at the healing cut on Ed's forehead. The bruising there was going down slowly as well.

"Brother's been researching since we got back. He hasn't even slept yet, which isn't doing his injuries any favours." Al answered before Ed could. Ed just rolled his eyes at his brother's mother-henning.

"Al, you know I'll sleep when I need it. And my injuries are healing perfectly fine." Ed pointed out, trying to stop this argument before his brother got worked up again. Honestly, you'd think after a year of this, he'd give it a rest. He turned to Breda with a sudden idea. "Where'd you say that ice-cream vendor was? I could really go for some." If Al could've, he would've bristled at Ed using Breda as a way to avoid this _perfectly legitimate and needed_ argument. Breda and Du both agreed they'd rather Al's wrath than Ed's.

"It's up over there. I can show you if you'd like?" Breda offered, a tad cautious. Ed's grateful grin was almost worth the righteous anger coming from the suit of armour. All three Animals had decided this was something they didn't need to be involved in. Ed gestured for him to lead the way and Du and him did just that. Soon they were laughing at Ed and Al's reactions at seeing all of the ice-cream varieties available. Ed decided to go with Breda's favourite; rocky road.

"What're you going to get, Al?" Breda asked kindly, not expecting the sudden stiff postures of the Elric brothers he got in response. There was an almost nervous panic that zipped through the air before Ed responded.

"He's lactose-intolerant." He blurted out. Breda looked at him, concerned by his reaction.

"You okay, chief?" He asked and Du did the same thing, sensing Ed's discomfort.

"Yup! Totally fine!" Ed said, a little too enthusiastically as he paid for his ice-cream and gave it a try. "Wow, Breda! You were right! This is great!" Ed praised, hoping it would also make the man forget his odd behaviour just now. It seemed to work.

"I'm glad. Anyway, I would love to hang with you guys more but I'm due back in the office soon and Hawkeye was not in a happy mood when I left." He winced as he remembered the sharpshooter's stormy behaviour.

"Lemme guess? Colonel Lazy tried hiding his paperwork again?" Ed asked around his ice-cream.

"You got it. I'll see you guys later." Breda chuckled.

 _"See you, Ed!"_ Du said at the same time. Ed and Al called out their own goodbyes as they watched the pair head back towards the Base. Ed kinda felt sorry for whoever decided to annoy Hawkeye next. Once he finished his ice-cream, all of them decided to mimic Breda and head back to work, or in their case, the library. Ed was granted the small mercy of not having his brother have a go at him for his sleeping habits or lack there of.

It was nearly a week after his last visit with Mustang that he was summoned back to the office. Al was excited since it meant Ed was forced to go outside of the library for more than an hour, something he hadn't done since the park. Truthfully, Ed was almost grateful for the break. They'd been studying every book they or the librarians could get their hands on that evenly loosely pertained to the Stone. They weren't any closer to answers now than they were six months ago and Ed was starting to get a tad frustrated at that fact. He really hoped the bastard had another lead for them. Al and Chester decided to tag along this time. They entered Mustang's outer office and were noisily greeted, as usual. Ed had it a little louder thanks to the Animals but he didn't mind. They spent a few minutes with the men, catching up and trying to be sympathetic when they learnt Havoc was dumped again. Ed and Al helped Fuery with a problem he hadn't been able to solve. They honestly didn't even suggest anything, just listened and somehow figured out the solution. Breda wasn't there, which explained why it was a tad quieter than normal. Falman was quiet as always, asking about their research and how it was progressing. He must've sensed the slightly pessimistic tone behind Ed's look because he gave him an encouraging clap on the shoulder before going back to work just before Hawkeye started shooting threatening glares. They knew that that look would soon be followed by a bullet and no one wanted to patch the newest bullet hole up. Ed had been showcasing his talent at being able to speak to both human and Animal at the same time with the human being none the wiser. He was sure that no one on the team, with the exception of maybe Hawkeye, knew about his other abilities but if she knew, she was doing an amazing job of keeping it a secret, something he was grateful for. Said woman had just finished whatever she was working on and had beckoned them over to her.

"Hello, Miss Riza, Soren. How're you guys?" Ed asked as he came to a stop in front of the blonde and owl. She gave Ed and Ayala a small smile. Al had apparently decided to chat with Fuery for a moment and hadn't caught up yet.

"We're good, thank you. How are your injuries?" She asked, a little concern showing in her voice. "Including the one on you side, the one you didn't tell Havoc or myself about." She didn't look impressed he hadn't either. Ed was only a little surprised she knew.

"I'm fine. My head's healed up nicely, the gash is healing at a good speed and my ribs only hurt a little now." He told her. It was true. His head injury was almost gone and the gash was healing at a really good pace. His ribs still caned like a bitch though but he could handle that pain anyway. Hawkeye looked a tad placated by his answer. That's when Al finally joined up to them, Chester a few steps behind.

"I'm glad to hear you're recovering well, sir. Please follow me and I'll show you through to Colonel Mustang." Ed winced at the formal address. He'd tried banning them all from calling him anything other than 'Ed', 'Edward' or 'Fullmetal'. It didn't really work as well as he'd hoped. Hawkeye knocked and entered once Mustang permitted it. "The Fullmetal Alchemist here at your request, sir." She announced as Ed, Al and the two Animals walked through the door and passed Hawkeye.

"Thank you, Lieutenant." Mustang dismissed her and she left, shutting the door with a soft click behind her.

"Hey, Nala! How you going?" Ed greeted the lioness who was lounging on the couch, ignoring Mustang. The lioness grinned at him. Only Ed could get away with the lack of respect or courtesy he shows Mustang. Well, he could get away with it if not for his brother.

"Brother! That's rude!" Al scolded him. Mustang almost grinned but managed to keep a straight face, his amusement only being shown by his eyes.

"What? He's got enough people kissing his arse. I'm sure he'll live if I don't." Ed shrugged as he sat next to Nala, Ayala jumping up to settle on his other side. She lay her head in his lap and glared at Mustang. She still hadn't forgiven him for hurting Ed last time they were here, even if he did help patch him up. Petty? yes. Did she care? No.

"Nice to see that blow to your head didn't knock some manners into you." Mustang quipped. Al decided to just sit on the other couch and hope for the best.

"Ha ha, Mustang. Real hilarious. Why'd you drag us down here?" Ed snapped.

 _"He figured out what you can do."_ Nala said quietly. Ed and Ayala barely hid their surprise at the statement.

"Are you sure?" Ed asked telepathically, while looking at Mustang like he was still waiting for an answer. Now that Nala mentioned it, Ed could see Mustang scrutinising his every move.

 _"Yeah but he won't confront you about it until he catches you in the act. He tried that with me and I denied it but I don't think he fully believes me."_ Nala explained. They'd both known it'd be a matter of time but Ed had suspected Mustang to be confrontational when he did figure it out.

"How are your injuries?" Mustang asked after a moment. Ed quirked a brow.

"Careful, Mustang. People might think you actually care." He snarked. Al mentally face-palmed. Sometimes his brother was a completely oblivious idiot. He was the only person on Mustang's team who thought Mustang hated him. The other's had seen through that facade ages ago. Mustang simply stared at him, clearly waiting for an answer. Ed rolled his eyes. "I'm fine. My injuries are practically healed."

"Glad to hear it. I've got a mission for you." Mustang didn't believe him, considering he knew first hand ribs healed slowly but he didn't argue. Instead he held out a folder. Ed crossed over to his desk to grab it. "I'm sending you to Liore. There have been rumours of a priest performing miracles. They say these miracles occur in a flash of red energy." Ed grinned as he gave the file a once over before handing it over to Al, who'd joined him as soon as he heard what the rumours said.

"When do we leave?" Ed asked, the fire in his eyes brighter thanks to the fresh lead. Mustang was glad to see that. He'd been concerned when he saw the blondes golden gaze damper than it normally is.

"Lieutenant Hawkeye has procured tickets for the both of you. I believe your train leaves in two days. It'll take you a couple of days to get there." Mustang told them. Ed nodded absentmindedly as he paid more attention to the file in his brother's hands. The information looked promising. The priest was apparently claiming his ability was a gift from some god neither boy had ever heard of. Some of the stuff the information claimed he'd done seemed impossible.

"Maybe this will get us closer to the answers we need, brother." Al said excitedly. Ed looked back up at him and smiled softly.

"Hopefully it will, Al." He answered softly. Hopefully this will be the piece of the puzzle they needed. Mustang hoped so as well. Even if it wasn't the answer to their problems, he really hoped this would lead them in the right direction. He hated seeing how dull Ed's eyes got when he'd all but given up.

"That'll be all, Fullmetal. I suggest you gather the needed information off of the Lieutenant and get some rest." Mustang dismissed him. Al hadn't been the only one to notice the lack of insults this visit and was quick to drag his brother out of the office before that could change. Ed barely had time to call out a goodbye to Nala before he was suddenly back out with the team. Ed was going to ask what Al was doing when he was distracted by Hawkeye.

"Here you go, boys. There's train tickets in there for both of you. You'll leave the day after tomorrow at 8am. You'll be stopping in New Optain for a couple of hours before continuing through to Posterim. Once there, you'll need to swap trains. You should arrive in Liore by midnight. I've arranged a hotel room for you both. The name and information is in with the tickets. Have a safe trip." She explained as she handed them an envelope.

"Thanks, Miss Riza. We'll see you when we get back." Ed smiled at her before they said goodbye to everyone and headed out the door and back to the library. Once there, Ed asked for any newspaper articles or information they had on Liore from the last two years. While he was sure Mustang had given the people who gathered information for missions a piece of his mind, Ed didn't trust them. Not after the last mission. So he planned to study every article he could get his hands on, just to make sure no important information was missing.

The night before they left, Al, Chester and Ayala ganged up on him and they spent the night in their dorm room. Ed was finally getting the sleep he needed, something they were all grateful for. Ed had gotten a grand total of 24 hours sleep in the last week, including cat naps, and the three of them were concerned. It wasn't unusual for him to go long periods with not much sleep but that didn't mean they didn't worry. Al spent the night packing the things his brother would need in his suitcase and reading something that didn't pertain to alchemy or the stone.

Ed was still tired when Ayala woke him the next morning so they could catch the train on time. He grumbled through breakfast and was only slightly less grumpy when Al said he could sleep on the train. They made it to the station with a quarter of an hour to spare and Ed claimed the first empty bench he could see. Al sat opposite him and Chester sat next to Al. Ayala claimed her usual spot, stretched out next to Ed with her head resting on his chest. Ed didn't end up falling back asleep until an hour into the trip when the other passengers had settled down and there was only a low hum of chatter in the cabin. He woke up when they stopped over in New Optain so they could get something to eat that wasn't train food and soon they were back on the train, heading towards Posterim. Ed had gotten enough sleep so they passed the time playing cards until Al discovered his brother was cheating. That's when Ed decided that reading would probably be the best way to spent the rest of their time. Al muttered something about getting him back. They reached Posterim after a few hours and were pleased to find they only had to wait 45 minutes to get their connecting train to Liore. Ed had taken to watching out the window, even though the sun had long since set. The twinkling lights of the town they were approaching caught his attention and he watched them grow steadily closer.

"Hey, Al?" He kept his flesh hand busy, stroking Ayala's fur.

"Yeah, brother?" Al looked up to see what Ed wanted. Ed's eyes locked with what passed as his own.

"I've got a good feeling about this place." Ed smiled.

"Me too, brother." Al grinned, optimism shining in his voice. Ayala and Chester both hummed their agreement as Ed turned back to watch the approaching lights.

 **A/N- Another chapter done and dusted! I apologise if the ending seems a bit rushed but I really wanted to get to the Liore scene so this story could get a move on. I'm sorry if it seems to be going slowly. The next chapter will hopefully be a bit longer than this one so that means it'll take longer to write so I apologise if it takes a while for it to be posted. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed already! Please comment any critiques or praises you have! Every comment helps! Thanks to everyone who is still reading this story!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14-**

As optimistic the feeling Ed had in his gut, it didn't stop him from feeling tired, stiff and sore from the train ride when they _finally_ arrived in Liore. Either Al's sixth sense was working over time or Ayala had told Chester who'd told Al that Ed wasn't in the best of moods because his younger brother had taken it on himself to talk to the first train station employee they'd come across for instructions to the hotel they were booked into. Directions were given and the woman thanked and the Elric brothers and their Animals soon found themselves in front of the correct building. It didn't look impressive but it certainly wasn't the worst they'd seen. They were pleasantly surprised by the inside of the building. The atmosphere was quiet and almost too warm but that may have been a combination of the big fireplaces and the fact that it was nearly 2 in the morning. Ed was a lot friendlier towards other people now that he was so close to a bed. Their room was basically the standard room the military always booked them. Two beds, a small kitchenette, a small bathroom and smaller dining room, if a table and two chairs counted as such. They did get a pleasant surprise when they saw the beds were two doubles as opposed to the regular king-singles they got. This meant both humans and Animals had more room to spread out, something Ed took immediate advantage of. He kicked his boots off, took off his leather pants (having discovered how uncomfy they were to sleep in) and removed his two jackets and collapsed onto the closest bed. Al, far too used to this behaviour, simply gathered his brothers discarded items and placed them next to his suitcase. Ayala thanked Al in her own way, rubbing up against the armour equivalent of his knee and lower thigh, before she joined Ed on the bed and curling up on him. Al gathered his reading material from the suitcase and carefully placed it on his bedside table before he turned to his brother. Ed had curled onto his left side, Ayala resting her massive head on his flesh arm and had tucked herself up underneath his automail arm. Al carefully watched his brother's face to make sure he was well and truly asleep and, once satisfied he was, carefully tucked both wolf and boy into the bed properly. Ayala barely cracked a golden eye open at Al's slight manipulation of her and Ed's bodies, far too used to the man-handling. Once he'd tucked his brother in and had checked the locks, he sat next to the only light source in the room and settled in for a night of reading. Chester had already claimed his side of the bed and Al rested one of his massive gloves on the leopards rib cage, pretending he could feel the rise and fall of every breath.

Ed awoke slowly and comfortably, if a little overheated thanks to Ayala's thick fur coat pressing on half his body. As comfortable and content as he was, he really needed to use the bathroom. Disentangling himself, he headed for the small bathroom. It was only when he reemerged that his brother spoke to him for the first time since they checked in.

"Good morning, Ed. Did you sleep well?" Al asked, chipper as usual. Ed blinked the last of the sleep out of eyes.

"Yeah, actually. The beds are pretty comfy. If this was a normal, boring military mission, I'd be tempted to drag it out a few more days than needed." Ed half-joked. The dorm beds he rarely slept on weren't exactly great. Ed almost preferred the times they'd had to camp outside when motels had been booked out or they'd been in the middle of nowhere. Ed scratched the back of his head and stretched. "What time is it?" He asked, stifling a yawn with his flesh hand.

"Uh, a little past 10am. I asked one of the employees as they made their morning rounds. There's a little coffee shop not far from here that serves a good breakfast. We can go once everyone's up." He said, glancing pointedly at the sleeping forms of Ayala and Chester. Ed was surprised to realise that neither Animal was awake now that both humans were. Normally, Ed was the last of the four of the to wake up, on the nights he actually went to sleep. Edward took the opportunity to have the shower he'd foregone for the sake of sleep the night before. Clean and now wide awake, Ed was greeted by both Animals when he came out of the bathroom. Once they'd gathered the items they thought they'd need for today, considering they only planned to do recon work, they headed for the coffee shop Al had been recommended. It was a rather warm day so a lot of the citizens had their windows and/or doors open in hopes of coaxing a breeze into their homes. They were roughly halfway to their destination when Ed realised the radios the townspeople were listening too were all broadcasting the same person. From the snippets Ed heard as they maneuvered around people, it seemed to be a religious channel. Ed couldn't stop an eye roll. He and Al hadn't been raised on any religious beliefs. They'd believed in science and alchemy for as long they could remember and never put any stock into any belief that spoke of an invisible being or beings who controlled the world or destiny or anything like that. Fortunately, they hadn't come across many people who tried shoving their religion down their throats. Those who did left them alone after Ed made his views very clear, usually rather vocally and sometimes, when they were a tad more insistent than normal, violently. They made it to the coffee shop and were greeted and served by an older gentleman. The radio in the joint was tuned to the same channel as every other radio in town was. Ed ordered drinks and food for himself and the Animals and both brothers and Animals took the time to people-watch.

"Gods children who live upon this land. Pray in faith and thee shall be saved. Those who've lost their way, the Sun God Leto shall shine..." The voice on the radio droned as their order was placed in front of them.

"So what are you guys? Street performers or something?" The waiter asked them as he filled Ed's glass up. Ed stared at him incredulously.

"Seriously? Do we look like street performers to you?" Ed asked, kinda miffed he hadn't been recognised immediately like he normally was.

"Well, yeah." The older man said, sounding a little apprehensive. Ed rolled his eyes.

"Come on, Al. Let's go look around." Ed said as he hoped off the stool he was seated on. Ayala and Chester stood and stretched off the post-breakfast laziness they'd gotten thanks to the over-sized meal. As Al stood though, his head hit the bottom the shelf the little cafe had their radio sitting on. It fell and hit the ground with enough force to smash it into dozens of pieces. Ed didn't really think the lack of preaching voice wasn't a loss but from the looks of his face, the waiter disagreed.

"Hey, easy! What's your problem?!" He exclaimed, looking mournfully at his broken radio.

"Sorry, it was an accident. We'll fix it." Ed said soothingly. The man looked at him like he'd grown an extra head.

"How'd you expect to do that? It's smashed in a million pieces!" He exclaimed. Ed rolled his eyes.

"Watch and learn, gramps." Ed tactfully said. He turned to his younger brother. "You wanna give it a shot?" Al nodded enthusiastically. Arming himself with a piece of chalk Ed had handed hum, Al drew out the appropriate transmutation array. With a glance to and an encouraging nod from Ed, Al placed the radio pieces inside the array and stood, hands placed directly above the array and activated it.

"Okay, here goes!" A few seconds later, the crackle of alchemic energy cleared, revealing the radio restored in better the new condition. Al was pleased with himself and Ed thought the look on the old mans face was worth having that voice speaking again. Ed could tell that Chester was praising Al for the successful transmutation.

"There, see? How's that?" Ed preened. The shopkeeper stared as Al placed the mended radio back in its spot.

"It's a miracle! You've been touched by the Sun God! Just like Father Cornello!" He exclaimed in awe.

"Been touched by who what now?"

"It's not a miracle, it's alchemy." Al explained. Understanding crossed the old man's face.

"Oh, you two are alchemists. I've heard of them." He sounded less enthusiastic than he had when he thought they'd been blessed by some god.

"Then perhaps you've heard of us? We're the Elric brother's!" Ed exclaimed a bit smugly. The crowd that had gathered when Al activated the array suddenly started commenting to each other.

"The Elric brother's huh?" The coffee shop worker mulled over the information.

"I've heard of them!" A random towns-person called out. Others soon joined him.

"The Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric right?"

"Wow!"

"So you're the young prodigy we hear so many stories about?"

"I see his wolf! Wow, her fur is beautiful!" Ayala puffed up at the compliment. Ed wasn't as pleased as her considering, like always, the crowd had gathered around a flustered Alphonse and amused Chester. Ed felt his eye twitch in annoyance. Alphonse held his big, metal hands up in a half-apology.

"No... It's not me!" He looked at his rather angry looking brother. Chester still found this sort of situation hilarious, no matter how many times it had happened. At least Ayala was the voice of calm and non-violence thoughts in this moments. The citizens turned to face the irked blonde.

"What?"

"You mean Fullmetal is the little guy?" One of the braver or stupider men asked. Alphonse restrained him before he could do anything that would be frowned upon. Something like planting his automail fist in the man's face. Something Ed _totally_ hadn't planned on doing.

"WHO'RE YOU CALLING LITTLE?! COME HERE AND SAY THAT TO MY FACE!" Ed thrashed pointlessly in his brother's iron grip as Al apologised and bodily hauled him so he wasn't in arms length of the unfortunate towns-person. It took several apologies from the man and Al and Ayala's joint efforts to calm Ed down so he was back in a civil mood. Once Alphonse was convinced Ed wouldn't hurt anyone, he let his brother go. Straightening his jackets, Ed shot one last nasty glare at the crowd and turned back to the half-terrified, half-amused coffee shop employee.

"So what's the deal with this guy on the radio?" Now that he'd had a moment to cool down, Ed realised that this preacher may very well be the one the rumours were talking about.

"Th-that's our leader, Father Cornello." The old man was obviously still wary of the volatile blonde. The citizens also had to put their two-cents in.

"We were lost until he came to town and taught us the divine ways of the Sun God, Leto."

"He grants eternal life to the soul of the faithful!"

"He can even resurrect the dead!"

"His miracles are proof that what he says is true!" Ed and Al exchanged glances at the comment about resurrection.

"So this guy claims he can bring the dead back to life, huh? That's something I've gotta see." Ed commented casually. Al nodded in agreement. Their server had evidently decided Ed wasn't going to get violent again and had turned to clean up the mess left from other patrons.

"Well, if you'd like to see proof of his miracles, you'll need to wait until tomorrow. Every day at 9am, Father Cornello performs a miracle for us, to show us proof of the Sun God's blessings." He told them.

"Really? Where do these miracles take place?" Ed's mind was already planning their next moves. The first thing they needed was an idea of what they were dealing with. That meant seeing the Father in action.

"He demonstrates his miracles in front of the Sun God's temple. If you'd like, you're welcome to meet me here tomorrow at 8:30 and I'll show you the way there?" The older man offered. The boys seemed genuinely interested and he wasn't one to deny such young ones an easier path to witness Father Cornello's miracles.

"That would be wonderful. Thank you so much for the offer, Mr...?" Al accepted before Ed could tell him to shove it. A ginger cat, darker than normal thanks to the red sand, suddenly leapt down to sit on the bench people ate their meals from. The man looked at it, an exasperated expression on his face. Ed and Al assumed the cat was not allowed up there.

"You can call me Dave. This here is Mick. He's my Animal who apparently has selective memory loss because he knows _he's not allowed on the bench_." The last words were emphasised and aimed at said Animal. The cat appeared to not care, instead focusing his attention on the two new Animals below him.

"Well, thank you for the offer, Dave. We'll see you tomorrow morning." Al thanked him and once the Animals had finished their secret conversation, the Elric group moved off to explore the town. It was bigger than Resembool but not by much. They found a couple of shops, a bookstore and a couple of promising restaurants. Al was excited about the bookstore and Ed was pretty keen to try the restaurants. Both fulfilled their wishes by the end of the day. Al walked out of the bookstore with five new books and Ed had grabbed a couple he'd never read. They grabbed food on their way back to the hotel and ate in the room. They passed the rest of the time reading and discussing theory. Al had tried getting Ed to get some sleep but the blonde had gotten more sleep in the last 48 hours than what he usually got so he wasn't tired. Al gave up after a while and Ed did end up nodding off for a couple of hours so he counted it as a small win.

They went through their normal morning routine and headed out early so they could meet up with Dave. Ed had made the decision to grab all of their stuff from the room just in case they needed to make a quick get away. It wouldn't be the first time they'd had to take off quickly after a mission was completed. They met up with Dave and Mick and followed the two of them through the streets, moving towards the busier town centre until they came to a stop at the back of what appeared to be every towns-person and visitor in Liore. Even with the mass of people, Ed and Al had no trouble seeing the unbelievably huge temple. Ed reckoned the Fuhrer's mansion was smaller than this temple. Dave and Mick had wandered off to get closer to the stage area. Ed used his suitcase as a stool and stood on it so he could get a clearer view of these so-called miracles. It wasn't long before a figure came to stand at the front of the platform, having at least two other people behind him. From what Ed could see, the central figure was the man supposedly blessed by this god. Father Cornello was a large man with little to no hair and squinty eyes. He wore black robes and a white sash and the only piece of jewellery Ed could see was a ring that glinted in the sun. He used a walking stick but didn't seem to need it as he stood tall in front of his followers. Ed nor Al could see his Animal on stage with him so they were left to assume it was either small or was back inside the temple. Cornello held up a hand to quell the noise the crowd was making and held up a simple flower. Ed watched him carefully and with no movement he could see, the flower was encased in a crackling red light and Cornello was left holding a small version of the statues that were scattered throughout the town. Ed narrowed his eyes as the crowd went wild around him.

"So, that's it, huh? What do you think?" He asked his brother. Al crossed his arms over his chest plate.

"There's no question. That's alchemy. No doubt about it." Al said.

 _"It may be alchemy but there's something wrong about it."_ Ayala said quietly. Neither she nor Chester had actually seen the transmutation what with all of the legs in the way but they certainly sensed it and neither liked it.

 _"It felt like the night you two attempted that array only not as intense."_ Chester added, speaking to both Ed and Al. Both boys let that sink in.

"The problem is, this guy is completely ignoring the law of equivalent exchange. He should've only been able to transmute that flower into something of equal mass. Even we had to obey that law." Ed pointed out.

"And he's changing organic matter into inorganic matter. He shouldn't be able to do that. Unless..." Al trailed off, looking at his brother, who was grinning.

"Yeah. There's just one way. Bingo."

They didn't have to wait long for the crowd to disperse so they could even approach the church. They made their way forward and entered the church barely half an hour after the demonstration and sermon had ended. They took their time, checking every room they saw before they came to the main room. There were dozens of pews set up and a shrine for their god Leto at the front. Next to it was a podium and behind the podium was a magnificent statue of Leto and a beautifully crafted stain-glass window. It wasn't until they were halfway down the aisle that they noticed there was someone else in the chapel with them. She was dressed in a simple, white dress and sandals and was currently praying.

"Oh merciful god, please hear me. Hear my prayer, I beg of you. Please bring him back to me." She startled and spun around when she heard a scoff behind her. She faced a short, golden haired boy with a red jacket and piercing gold eyes, a wolf with golden fur and eyes that matched the boy, a seven foot tall suit of armour with glowing red eyes and a beautifully dappled leopard. She could honestly say she'd never thought she'd see such an odd group in the church. The blonde boy was staring distastefully at the statue of the great god Leto.

"Hah. So this is the almighty Leto?" He looked at the woman, taking her pretty features, brunette hair with the pink fringe.

"Welcome." She smiled warmly at them. "Are you interested in Letoism?" She looked so hopeful and innocent when she asked.

"Nope, can't say I am. Not really the religious type." Ed watched the woman carefully for anything suspicious. She looked genuinely crestfallen at his answer.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that. To know God... It's to know hope. If we believe in divine grace than through him, all things are possible. If you believed, I'm sure Leto would bless you and make you grow taller!" Chester's laughter rang in both Al's and Ed's heads.

"WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?" Ed screeched at her, causing her to flinch back in confusion. A small, white and grey bird fluttered onto her shoulder, sensing the brunette's fright. Al grabbed the back of Ed's red jacket.

"Easy, brother! She was only trying to help!" He implored Ed to calm down. Ed sat on a wooden pew with a huff and glare. Ayala joined him and offered him her comfort, even if she did find the whole scene rather amusing.

"What about bringing the dead back to life? Do you believe that's possible too?" He asked the woman. She seemed hesitant to answer.

"Yes..." Ed pulled out his journal from an inner pocket and flipped it to a certain page before leaning back and reading it out loud.

"Water; thirty five Liters, carbon; twenty kilograms, ammonia; four Liters, lime; one point five kilograms, phosphorus; eight hundred grams, salt; two hundred and fifty grams, saltpeter; one hundred grams, and various other trace elements..." He didn't really need the book. That recipe had been ingrained into his memory ever since that night. The mood was somber as he read the list out. The woman was the only one confused.

"Huh?" She asked, weakly.

"That list represents the complete chemical make up of the human body for an average adult. It's been calculated to the last micro-gram and yet there has never been a single reported case of successfully creating a human life. And you're telling me something modern science can't do, you can do with prayer?" The skepticism couldn't be mistaken. The woman looked offended.

"Lift thy voice to god! And the prayers of the faithful shall be answered!" She said, an effort to combat what Ed had said.

"Did I mention; all those ingredients I read off? A kid could go down to his local market and buy every one of them with the spare change in his pocket. Turns out, humans are pretty cheap." Ed spoke like he was talking about something mundane. The brunette shook her head in horror.

"No! That's blasphemy! People are... We're all children of god! We're created in his image!" Al was starting to feel sorry for the woman. Ed was rather tactless when it came to dealing with religious people.

"You have to understand. Alchemists are scientists. We don't believe in concepts like gods or creators. We observe the physical laws that govern this world in order to learn the truth. It's ironic, really. That through the application of science we have, in many ways, been given the power to play gods ourselves." Ed mused out loud. The brunette now looked scandalised.

"So you're putting yourself on the same level as god? That's... that's sheer arrogance!" Ed mentally granted her that point.

"Ya' know, there's this old myth about a hero who flew on wings made of wax. He thought he could touch the sun but when he got to close, his wings melted and he crashed back down to earth. Isn't that right, Al?" He glanced at his brother.

"Brother..." Al said in a way that told Ed to stop teasing the woman just because of her beliefs and to carry on with the mission. Ed turned his golden eyes back to the woman and saw that she looked devastated. He sighed.

"I'm sorry, Miss. This is difficult for me too ask but do you think your Father Cornello could save even an arrogant scientist like me?" He lied through his teeth but she never realised. Instead, she lit up like he'd given her the best gift she'd ever received.

"Of course! If anyone can lead you to our creator, Father Cornello can!" After a moment of debate, she indicated that they should follow her. After shrugging his shoulders at the others, Ed did as she asked and the others followed him. Her little white and grey bird perched on her shoulder, watching the four of them out of the corner of its eye. "Oh! How rude of me! I forgot to introduce myself! I'm Rose and this is Molly." She'd come to a sudden stop in a hallway and turned to face them.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Rose, Molly. I'm Alphonse and this is my older brother, Edward, his wolf, Ayala and my leopard, Chester." Al, forever polite, introduced them before Ed had a chance to speak. Just as Rose was about to respond, a man in a black uniform of some description entered the hallway and started when he realised he wasn't alone. Ed saw the flash of suspicion and slight paranoia cross the man's features before they smoothed out into a pleasant and slightly questioning look.

"Rose, what a surprise to see you away from the chapel. Who are these two strangers?" The man sounded mild mannered and curious but Ed, Al, Ayala and Chester could see the assessing look he gave them all.

"Brother Cray! These are..." Ed interrupted her before she could go any further.

"We're the Elric brothers. We're here to see Father Cornello." Rose looked annoyed at the interruption but didn't say anything.

"They're here to ask Father Cornello about Letoism." She added brightly. Brother Cray raised a brow slightly at that but didn't question her.

"I'll go talk to Father Cornello and see if he can spare a few moments for two young souls such as yourselves. Please wait here." He spun on his heel and marched down the hallway, turned the corner and disappeared out of sight. Al and Rose made small talk but Ed was dissecting the man's movements and words.

"Did you sense his Animal with him? It must've been small or well hidden if it was on his person." Ayala hummed at the question.

 _"I believe it was a gecko of some description. I can't be sure the species, not without seeing it."_ Ed thanked her. If Father Cornello's Animal was also something small, Ed might not have to worry about it. At least he wouldn't have to worry about Cray's Animal.

"Can you sense the other Animals in this building?" He asked, looking at her. She closed her eyes in concentration.

 _"From what I can tell, most of the Animals around here are small. There's a few large breed dogs and a an antelope but it's mainly reptiles or amphibians or birds here."_ She told him after a minute or so. Ed nodded in acknowledgement before turning his attention to Rose and Al's chatter. A few minutes later, Cray made a reappearance.

"If you'll please follow me, I'll escort you to Father Cornello." He smiled politely and lead the way. Ed knew something was up. The man was tense, like he was forcing himself to turn his back to the group as he lead them through hallways and down some stairs. "As you can imagine, Father Cornello is a very busy man but he has decided to spare a few minutes for you two." Cray opened a door and stood aside to let them go through first. Rose looked confused, like she'd never seen this place or like it wasn't wear Cornello usually hung out. Ed took in his surroundings quickly. It was a large room, lit only by a few torches with massive pillars holding the roof up. There were a couple of doors, including the ones behind him and there were two sets of staircases that lead up to a balcony and, Ed assumed, out another door.

"Yeah, thanks! Like we said, we'll only be few minutes." Ed said as he heard the doors shut behind him. Spinning around, he was faced with Cray and two other men dressed similarly, only their uniforms were white. Rose gasped as she saw the weapons.

"Good. We'll make this quick." He sneered, the three men hefting their weapons.

"Brother Cray! What is this?! What are you doing?!" She asked, words muffled slightly by the hand she'd thrown over mouth. Cray turned his attention to her.

"They're heathens, Rose! They're here solely to discredit and ensnare the Father! This is God's will!" He spat.

"Brother Cray..." Rose whispered. Ed's grin turned slightly feral even as the two men moved to quickly stop Ed with staffs crossed in front of his chest as Cray pulled a gun out of his waistband and aimed it at Al.

"Like you said... Let's make this quick!" Ed exclaimed as he knocked the spears away from him, landing an automail elbow on one guys rib cage, hearing a satisfying crack and pained gasp before they even knew what was happening. Before he could react, Ed grabbed the second by one arm and threw him over his shoulder, wrenching the arm back and hearing a loud crunching pop as the man's shoulder dislocated. Before Cray could pull the trigger, Alphonse punched him square on the nose, knocking him out instantly and the gun clattered to the floor near Rose's feet.

 _"The first guy!"_ Ayala cried out as the injured man tried to make a run for it only to trip over the staff Ed aimed at his legs and knock himself out cold on the paved floors.

"Oh yeah! Strike!" Ed exclaimed proudly as Ayala shook her head at his antics. A foreign voice drew their attention to the balcony and Ed's gaze grew hard as he spotted the old man who they were here to see.

"What's all this commotion?" Father Cornello asked, as though it were merely a group of children running amok. His eyes landed on Ed. "Ah! The Fullmetal Alchemist. Welcome to our sacred order." Ed scoffed at what would've been a pleasant welcome were it not for the three unconscious men at their feet.

"Father Cornello!" Rose looked at the man like he could tell her something that would make all of this make sense.

"I must apologise for my disciples behaviour. It appears they've been misguided." Cornello didn't sound overly apologetic.

"Sure. Let's say I believe you weren't the one guiding them. What next?" He certainly sounded like he didn't believe him. Ayala and Chester had taken up their customary protective stances in front of their humans. Rose stood off to the side, closer to Al. Ed spotted a large brown lumpy thing sitting on Cornello's shoulder and, thanks to Ayala's keen eyesight, identified it as a cane toad. Presumably, this was Cornello's Animal. Rather fitting.

"Are you here to learn the ways of Leto?" Cornello inquired.

"Well, there are a few things I'm curious about." Ed admitted. "For example, how you've been deceiving your followers with second rate alchemy." Cornello actually looked offended. Rose gasped and looked at Ed.

"My dear boy! You're mistaken. What you undoubtedly see as alchemy is really the miraculous power of the Sun God Leto." He placed his hands together and a red glow could be seen between his fingers. As he pulled them apart, a small version of the Leto statue materialised out of no where. "Look again. Could mere alchemy create something out of nothing in this way?" Ed eyed the statue.

"Yeah, that's what I didn't get at first. How can you perform transmutations that ignore the law of equivalent exchange?" Ed asked as he rubbed the side of his head. Cornello grinned, like he'd won.

"As I said! It isn't alchemy!" He slammed the small statue on the wooden rail to prove a point.

"Then, I started thinking." Ed continued as though Cornello has said nothing. "What if you somehow acquired a certain object to amplify your alchemy. One that's said to make the impossible possible. That would explain everything." Ed met Cornellos eyes as he glared knowingly at him.

"What?" Cornello looked a tad nervous. Ayala knew they were about to catch him out.

"I'm talking about the Philosopher's Stone!" Ed's eyes zeroed in on the red ring Cornello wore. "Your ring! That's it, isn't it?" Cornello's expression flickered and they knew they were right. "I've been looking for that." Ed started walking towards the old man.

"The ring is just a ring! I am god's humble servant and it's from him alone that I derive my powers!" Cornello said confidently. Ed snorted.

"Still trying to sell that line, huh? If that's the way you wanna play it, I guess I'll have to come up there and beat the truth outta you!" Ayala trotted next to Ed, determined to protect her human. Chester, Al, Molly and Rose stayed where they were. Cornello didn't look phased by the approaching blonde or wolf.

"My, you really are the incorrigible heathen, aren't you?" He sneered before addressing the only woman in the room. "Rose, dear?" She startled slightly.

"Yes, Father?" She asked nervously. Ed paused in his approach.

"That gun there beside you? Pick it up." Cornello ordered the woman. She looked stunned.

"Uh, okay." She scooped it up carefully. Molly twittered frantically. Cornello looked pleased.

"Now child, I want you to shoot the Fullmetal Alchemist." Ed spun to face Rose as Al did the same. She was the bigger threat at the moment. Ayala prepared herself to intervene if necessary.

"No... Father, I can't do that!" Rose looked absolutely horrified he'd even asked.

"I am the Sun God's chosen emissary! My word is the word of Leto himself! Shoot him, Rose! Why hesitate? It's gods will! When you lost your fiance due to that tragic accident last year, who was it that saved you from the very depth of despair? Have you forgotten?" Cornello ranted. Rose cradled the gun to her chest as she started crying.

"It was you, Father." A couple of tears slowly ran down her cheeks. Cornello grinned.

"That's right! It was I who took your hand and led you into god's light! And you recall what it was I promised you then?" He continued his manipulation of the fragile woman.

"You said if I had faith, you'd bring him back to life!" She shouted, aiming the gun at Alphonse. Ed felt a tiny twinge of annoyance as once again his brother was mistaken for him. Chester arched his back at the threat to his human, letting a continuous warning growl sound as he readied himself to act.

"Wait, it's not me! I'm his..." Al started saying, hands up defensively.

"LISTEN! I'M THE FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST! YOU GOT THAT?" Ed yelled at her.

"Him?!" Cornello was honestly shocked. "The short one?" Before Ed could yell at him for that comment, Rose aimed the gun at Ed.

"I'm sorry but... I have to do this. I don't have any choice." She pleaded for Ed to understand.

"He's lying to you, Rose." Ed pitied her. He knew what the play was here. Cornello had taken advantage of a grieving woman and turned her into someone willing to do anything for him in return for the impossible. Rose closed her eyes as she clung to her faith.

"No! You're wrong! I've seen his miracles! Father Cornello will bring him back to life! I have faith!" She yelled. Molly was making frantic noises. Ed leveled her with a cool look.

"Fine. Than shoot." Ayala looked at him almost comically but Ed was focused on Rose. She'd pulled the gun back to her chest and was shaking worse than a leaf in a windstorm. She was very nearly in full tears as she closed her eyes to pull the trigger. She couldn't watch herself do it. Her shaking had ruined her aim though so when she squeezed the trigger, the bullet hit Alphonse's helmet instead. The armoured boy let out a surprised grunt as his helmet flew off and he hit the ground.

"AL!" Three voices called out even if only one could be heard by the others. Rose trembled and dropped the gun as she shrieked. Chester, Ayala and Ed all headed towards the boy. Cornello grinned at the turn of events.

"Good. God Leto is pleased. You have done well, my child. Now, pick up the gun and shoot the other one." He ordered the near-catatonic woman.

"Haven't you made her do enough already?" Al's voice asked. Cornello and Rose's jaws both dropped in disbelief.

"How?" Cornello gaped.

"But your head... I thought I had..." Rose stumbled through the words. Ed picked up and dusted off his brother's helmet while Chester made sure Al was okay and Ayala stood guard. Al stood up, standing slightly to the side and behind his brother, facing Rose.

"Don't worry about it." Ed said as he knocked a fist on Al's armour, making a hollow banging noise. "He's pretty solid."

"Yeah, see? I'm not harmed at all." Al bent down so Rose had a full view of the blood seal and hollow armour. Al took his helmet from his brother's arms and put it back on. Rose looked ready to faint.

"An empty suit of armour that walks and speaks? Do you still doubt it, Rose? This unholy thing is an abomination! Evil of this kind must be purged!" Cornello retreated a couple of steps and reached for something behind him and pulled down. Everyone below him instinctively turned to face the door that was opening. A chimera walked out from the darkness. It looked to be a mix of lion and two other things Ed couldn't identify. "And I believe my chimera ought to up to the task." Cornello grinned evilly. Ed barely gave the chimera a second glance.

"So this is the sort of thing you do with the Philosopher's Stone? That's just twisted." Ed said, disgusted. Rose backed away from the creature in shock. Ayala and Chester both prepared themselves for a fight. "Anyway, looks like I'll need a weapon." Ed sighed as he brought his hands together. The clap rang out in the stone room and he placed his hands on the paved floor before drawing his hand up as he stood. Blue energy crackled across the area he was using as a spear followed his hand up, materialising from the ground. Once the spear head was finished being created, Ed snatched the weapon before it could fall. He admired the _extremely tasteful_ dragon that had its tail wrapped around the base of the head and wings extended to make the hilt of the weapon. Satisfied, Ed held the weapon and himself in a defensive stance, Ayala protecting the side the spear wasn't covering, his back.

"No transmutation circle? So your State Alchemist title isn't for show! You truly are gifted." Despite himself, Cornello was impressed. "However, your little spear is no match for a chimera who's claws can tear through iron!" He crowed as the chimera dashed forward and swiped at Ed, forcing him to defend with the spear. It's claws ripped the spear head off, turning it into a staff and useless, before it's second swipe connected with his left leg. Ayala came to his aid, throwing herself bodily at the creature so it was forced away from Ed, giving him some space before she retreated back to his side. Rose had gasped in concern but soon her face turned to confusion as she noticed the lack of blood.

"Aw you ripped my pants." Ed whined before grinning. "Guess those claws are useless against steel!" He called as he used his automail leg to land a kick at the charging chimera's face. It whined in pain as it was thrown backwards and was shaking its head to rid itself of the double vision it undoubtedly had. Cornello was furious.

"Attack him, you stupid beast!" He screamed at the chimera. The beast shook its head once more but it was too late. Ed and Ayala rushed it, using the teamwork Teacher and Koda had taught them. Ayala was careful to dodge any attacks, though one claw connected with her right front leg. Ed made sure to use his automail to block any blows he couldn't dodge. The chimera managed to tear his right sleeves before Ed managed to knock the creature out for good. That's when he noticed Ayala's injury. Since it was on the corresponding limb as his automail arm, he never felt the sympathy pain.

"Damn, Ayala. How bad?" He asked as he approached her. She walked over to him, barely limping.

 _"Barely a scratch."_ She told him. Ed nodded. It wouldn't need his help to heal than. Facing their enemy once again, Ed ripped his jackets off so he wouldn't be burdened by them should he have to fight some more. The automail caught Cornello's eyes and they widened in understanding.

"Your arm. A brother trapped in armour. I see! It's all becoming clear now!" He gloated at his own genius at figuring it out. "You did it, didn't you? The one thing even the most novice alchemist knows is strictly forbidden!" Ed's face screwed up at the insult.

"Why don't you come down here and try me?! I'll show you real quick who the novice is!" He challenged the elder man. Ayala and Al honestly wondered why Ed felt the need to challenge everyone who insulted them. Cornello's face turned gleeful as he realised what an opportunity this gave him.

"You see, Rose?" He said smugly. "These fools attempted human transmutation and this was the price for their sins! That transmutation is the greatest taboo for any alchemist! In their arrogance, they tried to bring someone dead back to life!" Rose barely heard him. She was too busy staring at Edward's arm and the mass of scars that adorned his shoulder and chest. She gasped as she realised the true meaning behind the story he'd told back in the chapel. Tears welled in her eyes as she realised the true meaning behind what Father Cornello had just said.

"Oh no..." She whispered, letting a tear slip down her cheek. Ed glanced at her before looking back at his right arm and flexing it at the elbow. Ayala looked at him sadly.

"This is what happens when you try to play god or whatever you want to call it. Took a good look, Rose. Is this what you want?" Edward'd voice grew quiet and completely serious. A huff of laughter drew his attention away from his metal arm and back to Cornello.

"So, this is the great Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric! Not even half a man! Hell, not even half a boy!" He sneered. Ed narrowed his eyes.

"And what're you?! You're just a phony alchemist who can't do anything without the stone!" Ed shot back.

"Father, we just want you to hand the stone over before you get hurt." Al's quiet and polite voice sounded as he stretched his hand out for Cornello to place the ring in. Cornello laughed at him.

"Don't be absurd! Why? So you can use it for yourself?" He raised his cane and placed the other end in his hand. "Please. If you fools are really so eager to play god, perhaps I should send you to meet him instead!" His ring flashed red as he activated the stone, turning the simple wooden cane into a mutli-barrelled machine gun before their very eyes. He fired the gun at them, turning the pavers into dust as dozens of bullets pulverised them. A flash of blue alchemy caught his eye and he stopped in surprise. Once the dust cleared, he found himself facing a hastily constructed wall hiding his targets.

"Nah, me and god? We don't get along too well." Ed's voice called out from behind the wall. "Even if I went, he'd probably just send me right back here." Cornello scowled. Al saw his opportunity and took it. Picking Rose up and telling Chester to follow, he raced from Cornello. The Father saw this and took aim at Al's broad metal back and fired, the bullets pinging off the metal. Rose curled in on herself as much as she could and screamed as the bullets flew by.

"This way!" Ed shouted as he clapped his hands together and alchemised a new door a dozen metres away from the original and threw it open in time for Al, Rose and the Animals to race through before he followed them. Molly had taken to the air at Rose's order as soon as Father Cornello had started firing. She lead the way for them to escape. They could hear Cornello shouting orders at the men who were waiting outside the original door. They turned a corner and faced a wall of men, blocking their way.

"That's fair enough." One man said as they approached.

"What are you gonna do, boy? You're outnumbered and unarmed." Another pointed out. Ed flashed a feral grin as he slowed his sprint to a run and let Chester and Ayala overtake him. At his telepathic request, both large Animals tackled the men and cleared a path through the remaining men, still following Molly.

"You don't wanna mess with angry wolf or big cat!" Ed threw over his shoulder as he sprinted away. They turned down a few more hallways before Ed called for them all to stop. Al allowed Rose to escape from his arms. Her eyes were wide and she was still reeling from the shock of what had just transpired.

"What's wrong, brother? Were you hurt?" Al asked worriedly. Ed waved off his concerns.

"Couple of scratches. I'm fine. But we need to come up with a plan." Ed said. "We can't let him keep getting away with using these people like this or that stone!"

"I agree, Ed. What do you have in mind?" Al asked, knowing his brother had undoubtedly made a plan the moment Cornello unleashed that chimera. Ed's answering grin confirmed that.

"I need you to get a few things and I need to know how to get from here to wherever Cornello has been giving his sermons over the radio." He looked pointedly at Rose for this but she was still in shock. Sighing but not really blaming her, he looked at the bird who had perched herself back on her human's shoulder.

"Molly? I need you to tell me how to get from here to Cornello's radio station." He asked as nicely as he could at that moment. The little bird cocked her head to the side and Ed cursed as he realised he'd asked out loud instead of telepathically. Before he could, Ayala spoke.

 _"She said she can't tell us but she can show us if you'd like."_ Ed was a little surprised Molly was willing to leave Rose after such a major ordeal. The first time someone fired a gun in Ed's general direction, Ayala had damn near torn their throat out and refused to budge from his side for a week. Ed was glad the shooter hadn't been Hawkeye.

"You sure?" Ed asked. A chirp and Molly headed down a hallway, circling until Ed took the hint. Rattling off some things he needed from Al and the plan, Ed and Ayala took off. After she showed them the room, she took off again, undoubtedly heading back for her human. Ed broke in using alchemy and set the room up how he needed it. Once done, he waited on the desk for Al's confirmation and Cornello to show his ugly face.

Al was dragging Rose along behind him. She never put up a fight but Al didn't want to leave her alone after the trauma she just went through and the fact that Cornello had fired, knowing she was in the way. Molly had rejoined them and was softly chirping while calming Rose down. Al set about gathering what they needed, the last being the big brass bell hanging in the church's tower.

"What do you think of Cornello now, Rose? He just opened fire. He didn't care that you were in the way." He said, almost sadly. He wished she hadn't been in that situation. She was too innocent and good-hearted for that.

"But... that's because..." She faltered, not being able to find a way to rationalise Cornello's actions with the kind priest she knew so she changed the subject. "What he said back was true, wasn't it?" She felt Al's mood turn sad.

"We are not evil." He said. "All we wanted was to see our mum smile again. But our transmutation failed. What we brought back... it wasn't even human. We learned our mistake the hard way. People don't come back from the dead. Not ever." He sounded like he was going to cry only she realised, he couldn't.

"That's not true! I mean..." She again faltered. Father Cornello had _promised_ her he'd bring her love back but Al and Ed openly admitted what they'd done and they'd failed and this was their price? She didn't know what to think. She felt like her whole world had been turned upside down.

"Alchemy is based on 'the Law of Equivalent Exchange'. The price of even a failed human transmutation was enormous. It cost my brother his left leg and it cost me my whole body." He placed the bell on the ground and removed his helmet, bending down to show her his blood seal. "Do you see it? My brother drew that with his own blood. His leg had been taken. He was bleeding. I can't imagine the pain he was in..." He trailed off but pulled himself together. "But through all that, he still gave up his right arm to transmute my soul and bonded me to this suit of armor. And now? I just want to help him get his body back to the way it was. He wants to find a way to get me back to normal too. It won't be easy. We might even get killed along the way. But that's the path we chose and all we can do is keep moving forward." While he was speaking, Al was also drawing out the array his brother had suggested they use.

"But... Father Cornello said... he said he could do it, he promised me! Just because you and your brother failed, it doesn't mean he will!" Her voice rose with every word as she clung to the last of her faith. Al sighed and asked Chester to send Ed the message they were ready. All he had to do now was wait for Ayala to tell them to activate the array.

Ed was seriously considering taking a nap. Fucking hell, he was fairly certain he'd seen Mustang do paperwork faster than it took the Father to find him and Ayala. At last, Ayala's ears perked up as she heard fast paced footsteps approaching the room they were waiting in. A few seconds later, Ed straightened up as he heard them too. A chubby black blur ran past the open doorway before skidding to a stop and backtracking. Father Cornello's triumphant grin was ruined slightly by his red face and panting breaths.

"There you are, you infernal brat!" He shouted. Ed sighed at the dramatics. He noticed the brown lump of a toad had moved shoulders at some point during the confrontation.

"Nice toad. Anyway, let's cut the crap here. All I want are some straight answers and I'll be out of your hair, or lack thereof, or we could get the military involved..." He let himself trail off, the threat being obvious. Cornello took all of a second to think it through.

"Urgh. Fine. Asks your questions." He grumbled, the pudgy toad moving a bit to make itself comfortable.

"You can do anything with the Philosopher's Stone, right? So why waste all of the power performing phony 'miracles'?" Ed swung his leg down so he was now sitting on the desk like one would on a wall and watched the Father carefully.

"Because with each miracle, I attract more new believers. Believers who would lay their lives down for me. I'm slowly building an army! A legion of holy warriors, unafraid to die! In a few more years, I'll be ready to unleash this mindless horde on the world! And I'll use the Philosopher's Stone to tear this country apart! Who knows? I might even carve a slice out for you!" He cackled evilly only to stop when Ed started laughing hysterically. Even Ayala couldn't hide her toothy grin from him. "Wait, why are you laughing?" He was so confused, which made Ed laugh even harder.

"You really are a novice, aren't you?" Ed cackled as he tried to get his breath back. Father Cornello looked absolutely perplexed until Ed lifted up the switch that activated his daily live broadcast. It was in the 'on' position. His eyes followed the lead all the way down to the microphone at his feet. It took another couple of seconds for his mind to make the connection. His jaw dropped in shock before he lunged for the irritating blonde boy.

"Turn that off!" He yelled, voice higher than he would've liked. "Why you little... How long has that been on?!"

"Pretty much the entire time. The second you ran past the door, Ayala here sent a message to my brother's leopard. He then activated the array we came up with. Every single person has just heard your plans. All of your believers." Ed gloated. Cornello let that sink in.

"How could you?! You'll pay dearly for this!" He shouted as Ed looked thoroughly unimpressed with the threat. Lifting his cane, Cornello once again started transmuting it into his weapon but Ed wasn't about to let that happen. Racing forward, he clapped his hands and placed one over his automail, turning it into his blade and sliced clean through the Father's gun, rendering it useless.

"Not today, I won't. Just face it, you're outmatched." Ed said as he came to stop, Ayala moving to take her spot next to him. Cornello was absolutely furious and humiliated. He couldn't let this _child_ beat him. Hefting the half of the weapon he still had hold of, he activated his ring again.

"I am without rival!" He shouted as the red energy crackled around him. Ed launched into a backwards flip, putting as much distance between them as he could. Ayala moved next to him and they both watched as the light faded to reveal what the Father had done. Except, none of them were expecting what they saw. Cornello gasped in horror as he saw what was once his entire arm and hand melded with the weapon he was trying to make. Ed looked like he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"I-it's a rebound." He sounded kinda shocked. Ayala was too. Everything they'd heard and read about the stone said it was a perfect material. It shouldn't cause a rebound.

"No! I won't be disgraced like this!" Cornello placed the ring over his ruined arm and activated it once again. The red energy glowed before mutating it's wielder. Cornello's eyes glowed red and his body expanded so fast, his clothes were torn to shreds. His Animal let out a high pitched shriek of terror as it was ensconced in the wayward alchemy. "Now, boy! Behold! The chosen emissary of the Sun God Leto!" Cornello's voice grew deeper and Ed wasn't ashamed to admit he was scared by what he saw. He'd never seen such a harsh rebound. Even Ayala was cowering a bit from the monstrosity that was in front of them. Ed didn't stand a chance as one of Cornellos arms hit him and Ayala, sending them both straight threw the wall to their left. Ed managed to get a hold of Ayala around her waist and flipped, ensuring they landed relatively safely in what Ed identified as the chapel. They had Teacher to thank for that move. Cornello aimed a punch as soon as he got his footing, forcing Ed and Ayala to separate lest they be hit. Ed was relieved to find Cornello's glowing eyes were focused on him and not his wolf. He could defend himself against this but Ayala would be hard pressed doing the same. Cornello's other fist tried to hit him but he blocked it with his automail arm.

"My word is the divine word of god himself! My fist is the almighty fist of judgement!" Cornello's demonic voice rang out. Ed was straining to keep Cornello's fist at bay and Ayala was whining, wanting to do something but unable. She could tell that she'd never be able to break Cornello's skin with her teeth or claws and she doubted he'd notice if she tried to body tackle him like she did that chimera. She was powerless to save her human and she hated it. Ed could already feel the bruises forming when he got inspiration from Cornello's words.

"Oh yeah? Fist of god huh?" He grunted as he shoved Cornello's hand away from him and fell sideways. Before he hit the ground, he'd righted himself and rushed straight past Ayala. "If that's what you want, you got it!" He shouted as he clapped and threw his hands on the statue of the Sun God himself. Ayala dove out of the way as she realised what he was planning. The energy of his transmutation crackled and ran up the length of the statue. Cornello tracked the energy and only realised what Ed had done a second before the giant stone fist of the Leto statue slammed into him, driving him mercilessly into the stone ground. Ayala and Ed ran around to the other side of the fist to confront him. Cornello had shrunk down to his normal size but his toad was no where to be seen and his arm was still affected by the original rebound. Ayala placed her paws on his chest and snapped her teeth at his bared neck, ensuring she had his undivided attention. Ed approached them and Cornello opened his mouth, probably to demand he get his wolf away from him.

"Just shut up. Give me the Philosopher's Stone." He demanded, even as he reached down to forceably remove the ring himself. Just before his fingers touched it, the bright red stone suddenly darkened and fell out of its setting. Ed and Ayala's eyes followed the stone as it bounced and came to a rest and then disintegrated before their very eyes. Ed's mind couldn't comprehend what he knew about the stone and what he just saw.

"What the fuck? The stone... it's supposed to be the perfect material! How the fuck did it just break like that?!" He demanded, not even making a move against the priest but his glare still had the old man flinching away from him.

"I-I don't know! I don't know anything about it! P-please spare me! I-I was wrong! Please, I beg you!" Cornello cried actual tears. His toad finally showed itself, unable to resist it's human's strong emotions. "Donald! I thought you were dead!" Cornello exclaimed, temporarily forgetting he was still at the mercy of very irate alchemist. Ed sat back on his butt, Ayala shifted closer to him, looking extremely worried as his face went slack.

"You mean we went through all of this... for nothing? We risked our lives for this one chance and the stone is a fucking fake?!" Ed's voice shook with anger and disbelief. Cornello was reminded of the danger he was still in.

"So, uh, what about me?" Cornello chuckled nervously. Ed turned angry gold eyes on him and Cornello was only slightly more unnerved when the wolf turned identical eyes on him.

"I don't give a fuck. Get out of my sight." Ed growled out. Ayala just growled. Cornello did as he was told. Scrabbling up and making sure Donald was still with him, he took off out of the volatile blondes sight. Ed didn't even watch the disgraced priest flee.

 _"Edward."_ Ayala said sadly. She was literally the only being who knew exactly what he was feeling. The hope he had allowed himself to feel when they saw that first 'miracle' had only grown in size the more Cornello had used that ring and demonstrated its power and now all of the hope had literally been ripped away and torn to shreds. Chester had felt Ed's emotional turmoil and had sent a question through their link but all Ed could do was send him a message back not to worry. Chester was obviously not soothed by that message but elected to just wait for Ed and Ayala to reappear. Once Ed had collected himself, he and Ayala headed for the front entrance. Al and Chester were waiting for them there.

"Brother!" Al called as soon as he spotted the short blonde trudging over to them. Ed looked worse for wear but he wasn't in the worst shape his brother had seen. A few minor cuts and scrapes were all Al could see and Ed wasn't limping so that ruled out leg injuries. He wasn't cradling either arm or rib cage so not arm injuries or busted ribs. There was no blood staining Ed's gold hair so no obvious head injuries. Ed gave Alphonse a tired smile.

"Hey, Al. Good job with that array. The plan worked perfectly." Al glowed at Ed's praise but didn't let it distract him.

"Are you hurt?" Al asked, hands reaching forward to grab Ed and look him over but Ed twisted out of his reach.

"I'm fine Al, just the usual bruises and cuts." He was being honest this time. Surprisingly, he had no major injuries. The cuts he had would literally only need cleaning and that was it.

"That's good. What happened with the stone?" Al asked, looking for the elusive red stone. Ed grimaced.

"It was a fake, just like him." Ed sighed, looking straight at Al. "I'm so sorry, little brother. For a moment there, I really felt like we'd found what we were looking for."

"It's okay, Ed. At least this trip gave us some really useful information that will help us in the future." Al said, forever the optimist. Ed had never been more grateful for that particular trait.

"Yeah. You're right." He gave Al a small smile even though he still felt like shit. The sound of a gun being cocked had them turning around and finding Rose holding the gun from the original fight in trembling hands.

"Give me the Philosopher's Stone!" She demanded, the effect kinda ruined by her trembling hands but the threat was still taken seriously.

"Rose." Al said pleadingly.

"Like I was just saying, the stone was a fake. It's gone." Ed said dispassionately. He was far too tired to give a shit right now.

"You're lying! You kept it for yourself, didn't you?! So you can use it on your bodies! That's right... and so you can try and bring your mother back!" She sounded like she was trying to convince herself that she was in the right.

"You shut up!" Ed yelled at her, shocking her into silence. The intense anger on his face sent a shiver of fear down her spine. "People don't come back from the dead, Rose. Not ever! Not ever." He added the last part quietly, like he was reaffirming that point for himself. She knew without a doubt that he wasn't lying about anything. She'd been played by Father Cornello the whole time. She dropped the gun and sank to her knees, sobbing as she realised there was no way and had never been a way for the love of her life to come back to her. Molly landed on the ground in front of her, trying to comfort her as best she could.

"But he promised me! He said if I prayed enough, it would happen. A miracle, that's what he said. That was all the hope I had left!" She sobbed into her hands. "What am I supposed to believe in now?! Please! Tell me!" She looked up at Ed, tears staining her pretty face, eyes swollen and red and desperate. Ed turned his back and walked away, talking as he left.

"I can't tell you that. You need to figure that out for yourself. Stand up and walk. Keep moving forward. You've got two good legs so get up and use them. You're strong enough to make your own path so do it." Rose stopped crying as she let the words of the boy who'd seen and been through way too much wash over her. She watched the armour, wolf and leopard follow him down the stairs of the church. Molly felt the small flame relight in her human's soul and hoped she had the strength to keep it lit.

Ed had been ready to head straight for the train station and put this town behind him as soon as they recovered the suitcase but Al had talked him into waiting until the next day when there was actually a train to catch. So Ed allowed himself be shepherded to their hotel room and was shoved into the bathroom with strict instructions to wash all the grot off himself. Once he wasn't covered in an inch thick layer of dust and grime, he had a look at his minimal injuries as best as he could. Like he'd thought, there were no major injuries. It was all shallow cuts, bruises or scrapes. He had a massive headache he hadn't noticed that he was sure was from being thrown through that wall. His automail arm hurt at the port from struggling to hold monster-Cornello's fist from flattening him but it was nothing a couple of days of not using it wouldn't fix. Grabbing the fresh clothes Al had shoved in his arms before he'd been shoved in the bathroom, he dressed and emerged to find it was nearly dark outside.

"Brother. I asked the hotel clerk to ring the train station and we're booked to leave tomorrow at 9am. Do you want to call the Colonel now or before we leave?" Ed groaned. He'd almost managed to forget that he was required to check in with Mustang when he'd completed his missions at the earliest opportunity.

"Fuck. I'll call him in the morning. The last thing I want right now is to hear his stupid voice." Ed moaned as he laid down on his bed.

"Okay, brother. Do you want me to go get dinner?" Al offered as a peace treaty. Ed thought about it for a moment. The walk back had revealed that the townspeople were torn between disbelief their hero had been lying to them the whole time, despising the two Elric's for exposing him or being grateful they'd done so. It was kinda hit-and-miss with the confusion in the town. While Al could handle himself better than Ed could and he would have Chester with him, Ed wasn't totally sold on the idea of him going out by himself just for food. "Brother, you need to eat, especially after using so much energy and alchemy." Ed hated it when Al used logic.

"Okay, Al. Stay safe though." Ed caved. The idea of food and knowledge that Al could kick anyone's arse winning him over.

"I will, brother. We'll be back soon." Al said as he grabbed some money and left with Chester. Ayala climbed up on the bed with her human. Ed took one look at her dusty fur and groaned.

 _"What's wrong?"_ Ayala asked, concerned. Ed scrubbed his face with his flesh hand.

"You're absolutely filthy. You've still got blood on you. Go into the bathroom and I'll give you a bath." It was Ayala's turn to groan. She wasn't fond of baths but she didn't argue. Ed had literally forced her to get in a bath with his alchemy before and it wasn't an experience she wanted to repeat. Ed washed her fur out and towel her dry before inspecting the scratch she'd gotten from the chimera. It was nothing to worry about, like they'd first thought, and he left it alone, simply cleaning the blood away and disinfecting the wound. Both collapsed back on their bed and waited for the arrival of food. They were waiting for a lot longer than they thought necessary and were considering contacting Chester when the aforementioned leopard and Al walked in through the door.

"What took you so long?" Ed asked concerned. Al unburdened himself and Ed zoomed straight for the delicious smelling food. He dished himself, Ayala and Chester dinner and waited for Al to answer.

"Oh, I decided to duck by the train station and grab our tickets so we weren't in as big a rush in the morning." Al said, producing said tickets.

"Oh, good idea." Ed praised around a mouthful of food. Al mentally frowned at the lack of manners. Ed didn't notice. Al was right about him needing the food though. While not the biggest fight he'd been in, he'd still performed a decent amount of alchemy, not to mention fought a chimera and an over-sized and angry Cornello. All that amounted to a lot of used energy and what would be an irritable Edward if he didn't replenish as much energy as he could. So that meant eating as much food as he could shove in his mouth and sleeping as much as he could. It was one of the few times he'd sleep for more than a couple of hours at a time without complaint. Once he'd eaten, he grabbed one of their new books and made himself comfortable as he started reading. It was only a couple of hours later that Al was placing the book on the bedside table and tucking his sleeping brother into bed. Ayala placed her head on his chest and let his heartbeat lull her to sleep.

Ed woke up before dawn the next morning because why not? Al didn't complain because he knew it would be pointless. Once Ed woke up, he was up until he decided to crash again. They used the time to have a proper breakfast and Ed had a shower before they finally packed all of their belongings and made their way down the train station. They weaved through the Liore citizens who were up and about. Their skin crawled with the pent up tension that permeated the town. Ed didn't know what happened with Cornello after he ran away after Ed discovered the stone was a fake and he wasn't sticking around to find out what the townsfolk would do now that they were coming out of their collective shock. Neither human nor Animal saw the overly fat man or the sinfully beautiful woman watching them carefully from the shade provided by a nearby building. Ayala and Chester could feel the same wrongness Ayala had sensed in Central when Ed was taking the State Alchemist exam, though this time it felt slightly different. Chester could sense it and a quick confirmation from Ayala told him this was what she'd described over a year and a half ago. Both Animals scanned their immediate surroundings but they were too late. The woman and man had moved on. Neither Elric brother had noticed anything unusual about the pairs behaviour.

They made it to the station with no one stopping them for any reason. Edward figured the town had more important things to deal with than the two strangers who'd uncovered the plot leaving. The train station employee checked their tickets and let them board the waiting train, even though there was still half an hour to go before they were scheduled to leave. They spent the time playing cards until the train conductor announced their imminent departure. No one else had boarded the carriage they were in, something they were kind of grateful about. They watched as the train slowly pulled away from the station and soon enough the town was behind them.

"I wish we could've said goodbye to Rose and checked to see how she was coping." Al said quietly. "We kinda put her through a lot yesterday."

"I know but we can't change that now. You know it was better for those people to realise what was going on." Ed said, not looking up from his book.

"I know, brother. We did the right thing. I just wish she hadn't been as involved as she was." Al felt guilty. Every other citizen had had the news broken to them over a radio station but Rose had actually had to witness the entire ordeal and her priest turn on her.

"Maybe it was for the best that she did. She was a firm believer. Maybe even Cornello's strongest believer. I doubt she would've been convinced by that broadcast alone. Not after what he'd promised her." This time, Ed locked his eyes with his brother's glowing ones. "There's no point in worrying about what's been done, anyway." It was something they told each other when a mission didn't go as smoothly as it could have or they'd done something they wished they could've done differently.

"You're probably right, brother. You also didn't call Mustang this morning." Al's swift subject change told Ed he'd come to accept the events soon. Ed flashed him a not-so-guilty smile.

"Whoops." Al mentally rolled his eyes.

"You need to find a payphone when we stop so you can call him." Al told him. Ed rolled his eyes.

"Sure, Al. Whatever you reckon." He said, pointedly going back to his reading as Ayala and Chester laughed at him. Al resolved to simply nag him until he did. The trip back to Posterim seemed faster than it had been from Posterim to Liore. Ed, Al, Ayala and Chester deboarded when it was safe to do so and went to speak with the ticket seller about a train back to East City. Ed was annoyed that the connecting train wouldn't be leaving for another two hours but Al thanked the lady and paid for their tickets before he could complain.

"It's not the lady's fault the train isn't leaving sooner." Al scolded as they went to get some food from a nearby vendor, neither willing to leave the station. Ed scowled but didn't say anything. "Look brother, a payphone. You can contact Colonel Mustang now."

"Subtle, Al. Let me eat first. It's been forever since breakfast." Ed complained as he started unpacking his less-than-stellar lunch. Handing Ayala and Chester theirs, they all dug in as Al spent the time people watching. The town was a lot more busy than Liore was but not in East City's league so Al had fun watching the different Animals and their humans wander past. He saw a duck, wolverine, panther, rat, gazelle, black bear and even a giraffe. He almost missed Ed finishing his lunch and sneaking his book back out to avoid calling Mustang.

"Go call the office, Edward." Al's no-argument tone ordered. Ayala and Chester sniggered.

"Fine. Maybe he'll give me an excuse to see if I can injure him over a phone line." He said, somewhat wistfully as he stomped over to the payphone. Placing the phone against his ear, he rifled for some change but frowned when he came up empty. He thought he always had some in his pocket. "Oi, Al! You got any loose change?" Al managed to scrounge up enough money, much to Ed's disappointment, and Ed fed the phone and dialed the number for Mustang's office.

"Colonel Mustang's office." A woman said smoothly.

"Hey, Miss Riza. It's Ed." AL was hovering nearby in case he actually had to stop Ed from following through with his semi-threat.

"Hello, Edward. I'm assuming you're done with your mission?" She said.

"Yup. I'm in Posterim at the moment. Gonna catch my connection in about an hour so I'll be East City tonight." Ed told her.

"Glad to hear it. Colonel Mustang is busy with a meeting at the moment. Would you like me to pass along the message?" Thank fuck. He dodged a bullet there.

"If you could, please." Ed said gratefully.

"Of course. I'll let him know. Have a safe trip, Edward." Ed could hear the slight amusement in her tone at his evident happiness at avoiding Mustang for a bit longer.

"Thanks, Miss Riza. I'll do my best." He said before they both hung up.

"Well, there was no screaming or swearing so I'm assuming you never spoke to Mustang." Al said dryly.

"He was in a meeting. Hawkeye's gonna pass along the message." Ed said happily. Al shook his head at his brother's oddities. He honestly didn't understand his brother's continued hatred for the man. Especially since he knew Ed actually respected Mustang and, to a certain degree, cared about him.

"You know you still have to write up a report for him." Ed groaned as he placed his head on the open book in his hands. Al chuckled at him. "You know, if you just did it before the Colonel had to ask, you wouldn't get into trouble."

"You have an excellent point, Al." Ed conceded as he lifted his head from the book and turned back to reading. Ayala decided to join him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"You're not going to write that report until he's ordered you too, are you?" Al sighed, already resigned.

"Yup. It's the principle of the matter." Ed said stubbornly. It wasn't that he hated doing the reports. He just found them irritating, unnecessary and he didn't like giving Mustang the satisfaction of him doing something military ordered without any arguments. Al didn't bother pushing the matter. Chester curled up next to his armoured thighs and napped as much as possible. Forty minutes later, they were asked to board the train bound for East City with the rest of the passengers. Securing two benches, the four of them settled in for the long haul back to the base.

The train ride was uneventful, something they all were happy about. It wouldn't be the first time after a difficult mission that they had to stop some dumbass from trying to hijack the train they were on. It was nearly midnight when they came to a stop in East City station. They trudged through the streets, following the familiar route that took them to their dorm room. Dumping their gear, Ed went for a quick shower before they all headed for the library. Ed wanted to see if there were any books on fake Philosopher Stones. He argued that he'd gotten plenty of sleep in Liore and on the train ride home when Al told him he should get some sleep first. Ed didn't budge and eventually told Al he could stay in the dorm if he wanted but Ed was going to the library. Resisting the urge to alchemise his brother to his bed, Al followed him, muttering curses about his stupidity. Ed ignored him. A librarian they'd only met a couple of times, Ed thought his name was Tom, greeted them but left them in peace once they reached their table. It looked exactly the same as they'd left it. This time, when they took up their books and pens, they were looking for clues about false stones as well as real ones.

At 8am, Havoc found them hunched over their research. Funnily enough, Ed was the first to spot him.

"Havoc? What's up?" He asked curious. Havoc didn't go to libraries all that often. He wasn't a fan of reading.

"Bossman sent me. He says you're to turn in your report by the end of the business day." Havoc dutifully reported. Ed rolled his eyes. No matter how many times he suggested it to them, the members of Mustang's team refused to just let their Animal's pass along the message and spent the time they were supposed to be finding him doing something else. Ed didn't understand it until Fuery had finally told him it was simply because they liked spending time with him, even if was only a couple of minutes. Ed had been stunned by the admission and couldn't say anything other than a simple 'oh' in response.

"What's his paperwork pile like today?" Ed asked, brow raising in question. Havoc's grin turned amused when he understood what Ed was really asking.

"Considering the Lieutenant found his newest hiding place? Extremely tall. He'll probably be there long after the rest of us." Havoc informed him. Ed snorted.

"Where'd he try hiding them this time?" Ed had though he'd have learnt his lesson last time the Lieutenant had discovered his hiding spot. He hadn't been there but from the stories he'd been told, he almost wished he had been.

"Under his couch cushions." Havoc almost sounded impressed. Ed laughed. It was a pretty clever spot, if he was being truthful.

"Solid choice." He sniggered and Havoc joined him. Al was more amused by their behaviour than he was with Mustang's antics. "So Hawkeye has strongly recommended he stay behind and finish all of paperwork?" Ed asked, laughing still.

"You know it." Havoc confirmed. Ed nodded. That meant he had plenty of time. To dawdle, that is.

"Thanks for letting me know. Tell him I got the message." Ed smirked. Havoc returned the smirk, knowing full well Ed wouldn't turn up until late that night. With a salute they both knew Havoc only gave because he was in public, he left and headed back for the office. Al and he resumed their research before Al obviously couldn't help but make an observation.

"You're not going to turn that report in until late." Al asked, already certain of the answer.

"Hey, Havoc said at the end of the work day. It's not my fault Mustang didn't specifically say 'the end of the normal work day'." Ed pointed out.

"Brother..." Al sighed.

"Alphonse..." Ed mimicked his tone. "I'll contact Nala and make sure Mustang plans on staying late." He offered as an olive branch.

"Only if you promise that you'll go by the end of the normal working day if he doesn't stay late." Al compromised.

"Fine. I promise. And you'll be coming with me. I still need to ask for that trip back to Resembool." Ed told him. Al accepted the deal and Ed contacted the lioness.

"Hey, Nala. Is Mustang gonna hang back late today?" He asked, straight to the point.

 _"Hey, yourself. Yes. Hawkeye was very_ persuasive _in her argument that he gets all his paperwork done before he goes home."_ Nala sounded much more amused than Havoc had. Hawkeye's tactic must've been very entertaining.

"Excellent. Let me know if he considers making a break for it before he's done so I can turn the stupid report in." Ed requested, a little reluctantly.

 _"I will. How are you, anyway? I sensed something was wrong two days ago."_ Ed flinched when he realised she talking about the emotional bundle he'd felt when he'd discovered the stone wasn't real.

"I'm okay. I'm sure I'll had to verbally give a report as well, considering my real mission, so you'll find out then. I just don't want to talk about it twice on the same day. I'll see you tonight." Nala hummed, concerned but agreed to wait for answers. Their connection was broken.

"So? What'd she say?" Al asked nosily.

"Mustang will be staying back rather late tonight. She'll let me know if that changes." Ed shortened the story. Al accepted the plan. Ayala nosed his flesh hand, concerned he was upset again but Ed gave her a reassuring smile. Chester yawned from the top of the bookshelf he'd adopted as a bed and offered an encouraging feeling that Ed appreciated. The day passed with only a couple of disruptions. Namely, Allysha and Bruce came by to say hello when their shift started and they were informed the brothers were there. There was also a break for lunch, which Al forced Ed to go get so he got some fresh air. Ed grumbled but did as he was told, both Chester and Ayala joined him, the need to stretch their legs too great. They stopped at the first place they knew sold decent food and grabbed some sandwiches and drinks before heading back. When the time most military members went home approached, Nala contacted Ed informing him that Mustang was getting cranky. Ed laughed and made sure he was still planning on finishing his paperwork lest he be shot by his First Lieutenant. Nala promised him he was. Ed took the hour before he planned on leaving to write out his stupid report, purposefully leaving out a few details and Rose's involvement. Al was happy to see him doing as he was supposed to until he realised his brother had decided a purple texta had been an appropriate writing utensil. He didn't know who he felt more sorry for, Ed for Mustang's lecture regarding the pen and lateness or Mustang for Ed's usual behaviour added to any resulting grumpiness from having to leave the library.

When Nala contacted Ed to tell him Mustang was in a really foul mood, Ed decided to leave. He'd just finished the report so he didn't really have an excuse not to go, other than his usual 'I don't want too'. The walk to the office took barely any time and they were there by 7, only an hour and a half after Hawkeye usually left. Since Ed couldn't sense any Animals, aside from theirs and Nala, he knew everyone else had gone home and he didn't bother knocking. Kicking in Mustang's inner office door resulted in the Colonel shooting Ed an exceptionally irritated look.

"What part of 'by the end of the work day' did you not understand, Fullmetal?" He ground out.

"Hey, Nala. Also, you're still working. Therefore your working day has not ended. I'm not late." Ed retorted. Mustang's left eye twitched in annoyance.

"You knew exactly what I meant." He wasn't amused. Nala was though and he shot his lioness a dirty look.

"I did. That's why I got here before you left for the night." Ed argued back. Al groaned.

"Brother, please don't irritate the Colonel." He pleaded. Ed sighed.

"Fine. Here's your stupid report." He said as he tossed the paper at Mustang, who caught it out of reflex. Spotting the purple ink, he quirked a brow.

"Ran out of black pens, did you?" He asked sarcastically.

"Nope." Ed said simply. Mustang refused to argue. The little shit was intentionally trying to get a rise out of him. Taking a deep breath, Mustang forced himself to use his calm, professional persona.

"Good job in Liore, boys. I appreciate you resolving this matter." Ed rolled his eyes as he sat next to Nala.

"Whatever. We didn't do it for you." Ed dismissed the thanks.

"Right. The Philosopher's Stone. I'm assuming from your lack of excitement or changes, it was another false lead." Mustang observed. A crestfallen expression flickered across Ed's face before he could fully stop it.

"Yup. After all that shit, the stone was a fake. Though the power was real enough. That Cornello prick was able to transmute a chimera right in front of us." Al silently agreed. The power of a fake stone was almost phenomenal. He wondered what a real stone would be like.

"I'm still curious as to how he did that. I'm not familiar enough with bio-alchemy to make any theories." Al wondered out loud. Ed nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I was curious about that as well. Might be worth adding to our research list. Who knows? Maybe we'll find something that could help us reach our goal." Ed added. He wasn't sure what answers he thought bio-alchemy could hold but he refused to leave any stone unturned.

"I think it's a good idea." Al agreed. Ed hoped East City Library had some informative books on this alchemy.

"It might be helpful if you consulted a specialist in that area." Mustang suddenly said. Both boys turned to face him.

"What?" They echoed each other.

"The Sewing Life Alchemist, Shou Tucker. He's commonly referred to as the expert on chimeras. He lives in East City. I'll introduce you to him." Mustang didn't know where this offer came from, only that he didn't want Ed or Al to be overloaded more than they absolutely needed to be.

"You'd do that for us?" Al asked like he couldn't believe Mustang would offer to something as simple as introducing them to someone who could help. Ed, naturally, didn't believe him.

"What's the catch? You want something, don't you?" He immediately accused, ignoring Al calling his name as he turned so he could see Mustang.

"There's no catch! I'm just trying to repay you for your work on the Liore case! Doing you a favour is better than being indebted to you." He said the first thing that came to his mind that sounded believable enough. Judging by the look on Ed's face, it worked. Sighing, Mustang turned to sit back at his desk, having wandered to the window while Ed and Al were talking. "If you swing by before work, I'll take you guys over to meet him. He's not too far from the dorms, if my memory serves me right." Ed let the obvious 'old man' comment slide since Mustang was helping them.

"Oh! Alphonse, do you still want me to ask?" He whispered to his brother. The whispering caught Mustang's attention.

"Yeah. How long do you think?" Al asked back. Ed considered the question.

"Let's say a week at Tucker's, if he's willing to let us look at his research. Than how long there?" Al nodded in agreement. Mustang was very curious now.

"The same? Is that enough time for everything?" Al wasn't sure. Ed nodded.

"Should be. It normally doesn't take more than a couple of days if there's nothing major to deal with." Ed said after contemplating for a moment. He finally turned to Mustang and found the man looking slightly amused at the conversation.

"Is there something you'd like to ask me?" Mustang asked as though he wasn't already aware they did.

"Yes. We need a week to go back to Resembool. I need to get my automail looked at and Winry can make sure Al's armour is in good nick." Ed didn't bother with politeness. Mustang wouldn't buy it anyway.

"And I'm assuming you'd like to head off in a weeks time?" Mustang gathered this from the whispered conversation.

"Yup." Ed confirmed.

"Is your automail damaged?" Mustang asked, a bit of concern showing in his voice. Nala echoed the concern but to a deeper degree.

"No but it's been months since I've had them checked. Wouldn't want them to fail in the middle of a mission. My mechanic is far scarier than you and I'm not above blaming you for me not being able to get them checked." Ed threatened. Mustang had been privy to the many stories of Miss Rockbell's wrath and the threat was more effective than he would've cared to admit.

"As long as there are no extenuating circumstances, you may take your leave starting a week from tomorrow." Ed grinned at Al and could feel the joy rolling off the younger boy.

"Thank you, Colonel Mustang." Al said gratefully.

"What he said." He grouched after Al elbowed him in the side. Mustang smirked.

"You're welcome. I'll see you boys tomorrow morning at 7am sharp. Dismissed." Mustang waited for them to leave, Ed calling out a goodbye to his lioness, before sighing and looking at the still mountainous stack of paperwork he had left to get through. He doubted he'd be home before midnight. Picking up his pen and groaning at the thought of dealing with Edward on little sleep, he got back to work before his Lieutenant decided to follow through with her threat of giving Edward a pair of his gloves.

Ed didn't bother heading back to the dorms. They'd been in the middle of an interesting theory when Nala had contacted him and he was determined to get back to it. Al debated whether it would be worth wasting his breath trying to get Ed to go get some sleep and decided against it. Ed had an irritating habit of putting off sleep or eating if it meant he'd find some small piece of information that could potentially help them. Al had long since given up trying to break him of that habit. Aside from a detour to grab some dinner, something that took both Chester and Ayala reminding Ed he needed to eat before he agreed, the trip back to the library was as uneventful as always. Ed scoured the library and even roped Allysha into helping in his search for anything written by Shou Tucker. They didn't find much so Ed settled for some books that covered the broader aspects of bio-alchemy. The night passed without much talking between any of them, with Ayala and Chester sleeping for most of the night.

Al was the first one to notice the time and, for once, Ed was glad he had since they barely had enough time to get to the office to meet Mustang on time. They ran most of the way there, only slowing to a walk once they were close to the base. They spotted Mustang waiting near where the car park was and headed over. Mustang made a show at looking at Ed then his watch and looking surprised. Level ten eyeroll activated. Al laughed at him, the traitor. A car pulled to a stop in front of them all and the window rolled down to reveal Havoc.

"On chauffeur duty again?" Ed asked as he gave Havoc a smirk in lieu of an actual greeting.

"You know me, chief. Anything to prolong exposure to Hawkeye's sour mood when she realises the bossman won't be in on time." He grinned back and Ed laughed as he climbed in the backseat next to Al and the three larger Animals. Mustang claimed the front seat and shot Havoc an unamused look. Havoc cleared his throat in an effort to avoid laughing at Ed who was struggling to keep a straight face.

"We're heading to the Tucker residence." Havoc nodded at the instructions and headed presumably in the direction of Shou Tucker's home. It was a silent car ride. Ed and Al passed the time looking out the the window and, in Edward's case, chatting to Nala and Mark about anything interesting (i.e embarrassing) that had happened in the office or to any team member. He was kinda disappointed nothing, aside from Havoc epically failing to pick up some woman, happened. He'd already been told about the discovery of paperwork under the couch cushions, which Mark was upset about because he wanted to tell him. He shot his human a dirty glare that Havoc couldn't figure out a reason for. Nala was happy to keep passing on stories of Mustang's childhood from when she arrived, which Ed was kinda pissed he could never use against him. Nala had told him she'd been questioned about whether she and Ed could actually talk to each other and that she'd denied it but they both knew Mustang still suspected them.

They finally pulled up just outside of the biggest house Ed and Al had seen yet. It had a huge sprawling yard and wrought iron fence. The walkway lead to two massive doors Ed was certain could rival the East City Library doors. Havoc stayed with the car with instructions to wait for Mustang to come back out. Mustang lead them all up the path, Ed followed him and Al followed Ed. The Animals generally stuck with their humans but Nala did kinda bounce between Ed and Mustang.

"Two years ago," Mustang started talking, capturing Ed and Al's attention as they approached the door. "Tucker transmuted a chimera who could understand human speech. That's what earned him his certification as a State Alchemist."

"By 'understand human speech' you mean... wait you mean it talks? A chimera?" Ed asked. If he was right in interpreting Mustang, it was no wonder Tucker had gotten certified as a State Alchemist. Mustang nodded.

"That's right. Supposedly, anyway. It said only one thing. 'I want to die'. After that, it refused to eat until it got its wish." Mustang told them. Ed frowned out that. Why would a chimera want to die? Maybe he'd find out after he looked at the research of it's creator.

Ed suddenly found himself looking up at the sky as Ayala stood just beside him, snarling at something. Getting over his slight shock, Ed sat up and spotted the formidable enemy Ayala was challenging. A massive, white, fluffball of a dog that looked ridiculously happy considering an Arctic wolf was currently threatening to tear it's throat out. Before Ed could reprimand Ayala for overreacting _again_ or tell the bastard colonel to shut his laughing face, one of the massive doors swung open to reveal a small girl looking at them curiously.

"Daddy! There are people out here! Look!" She yelled over her shoulder, twin red-brown braids swinging with her head movements. Ed figured she couldn't be anymore than 5 or 6 years old so the massive white mutt was obviously not her Spirit Animal, if it were one at all. Ayala quickly told him that it wasn't. A man with glasses and a weary expression approached the door and gently placed a hand on the little girls shoulder. He had the biggest spider Ed had ever seen on his shoulder and he looked completely okay with it, which is something Ed didn't understand. Chester was the one who informed him that the spider was the man's Animal and Ed shuddered. He wasn't the biggest fan of spiders.

"Nina, this is why I told you to keep the dog tied up. He's too big to be jumping on people. One of these men could've been hurt." He lectured the little girl, who looked horrified at the idea.

"Alexander wouldn't hurt anyone, daddy!" She insisted and the fluffball boofed in agreement. Nina's big blue eyes crinkled with the size of her smile. "See?" She said, as though that made her win the argument.

"I apologise, Colonel Mustang. I hope Alexander didn't cause any problems for you or your group." Tucker said with a slight bow.

"He didn't bother us." Mustang dismissed the apology. Tucker visibly relaxed and the spider shifted. Ed couldn't help but stare it down. Whenever there was a spider near him, it garnered his undivided attention until someone made it go away.

"I'm glad to hear that. Would you like to come in?" Tucker asked, stepping out of the way and creating a welcoming gesture with his arm.

"Thank you." Mustang said as he accepted the invite and walked through the door. Ed followed but he made sure he was as far away as humanely possible from Tucker and his spider. Al sighed, knowing why Ed was behaving that way, and brought up the rear. Ayala was torm between amusement and sympathy regarding her humans behaviour. Chester didn't have that problem. He laughed at Ed, who promptly shot the leopard a glare that would render a normal foe quaking. Chester just continued his snickering. Mustang had also noticed Edward's behaviour and quietly slowed down so he was level with Alphonse.

"What's wrong with your brother?" Mustang whispered, keeping an eye on Ed in case the blonde heard him. Al panicked.

"I can't tell you. Brother would kill me!" He whispered back. He wasn't lying either. Edward hated people knowing about his weaknesses and he considered his arachnophobia embarrassing. Mustang sighed.

"Alphonse, what is it?" He asked nicely but Al shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Colonel. It's up to Ed if he wants people to know. I promise it's nothing that'll majorly affect his missions." Al reassured the black-haired man, which just made said man all the more curious. Tucker finally finished leading them to a dining room of sorts and indicated they should all sit down. Ed sat where he had the best view of the spider. Al sat on one side and Ayala on his other as two sources of comfort. Mustang remained standing.

"I believe some introductions are in order. These two are the Elric brothers. This is Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist," he indicated to Ed, who barely managed to incline his head, "Alphonse Elric, Fullmetal's younger brother," Al raised a massive hand and waved, "Fullmetal's wolf, Ayala and Alphonse's leopard, Chester." Tucker acknowledged each introduction with a small smile. Nina was busy staring at Ayala, Chester and Nala in obvious awe as she sat with Alexander. Mustang took the seat next to Ayala.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all. I apologise for the mess. Ever since my wife ran out, the place has been a wreck. I'm afraid I'm not much of a housekeeper. Now that we're all settled in, please let me say that it's a pleasure to meet you, Edward. I'm sure Colonel Mustang has already told you but I'm Shou Tucker, the Sewing Life Alchemist and this is my Animal, Ivana. She's a Goliath Birdeater." He said, a bit quietly and Ed wasn't sure if he was trying to keep Nina from hearing or if he was always that soft-spoken. Ed repressed the shudder he felt at the species name of Ivana.

"Fullmetal is interested in the field of biological alchemy. He would like to have a look at your research, if possible." Mustang explained. Tucker looked a little surprised and Ed thought he saw a flash of something else but it was gone before he could identify it. Before he answered, he turned to Nina and told her to take Alexander outside and play, which she did with some whining. He faced the group of alchemists again.

"Oh, yes, certainly. I don't mind. However, if you want to me to show you the tricks I've got up my sleeve, it's only fair that you show me the tricks you've got up yours as well. It's the code we alchemist's live by. Equivalent exchange. Now, why do you want to know about biological alchemy?" Tucker hid his mouth behind his folded hands and watched Ed carefully. Ed and Al were both impressed with Tucker's forwardness. Most people would've tried to sugarcoat what they wanted with Ed. Mustang was the only one who had an obvious reaction.

"Oh, um... Ed... Well, you see he's-" He stuttered and stopped when Ed held a hand up.

"It's okay, Colonel." Ed's eyes were on Tucker. Mustang was almost surprised to realise Ed hadn't followed his rank with an insult. Ed steeled his eyes and gave Tucker the shortened and heavily censored version of what had happened and why he wanted access to Tucker's research. He showed Tucker his automail arm which seemed to be the only proof he needed of his story.

"You transmuted your mother... as an eleven year old child? I see. So your automail inspired your State Alchemist title? You've had a rough time of it for someone so young. I can't say if it's going to be of any use to you or not, but why don't you go ahead and take a look at my laboratory?" He offered. Ed and A looked at one another.

"Are you two cool with that?" Ed asked their two Animals, just in case they wanted to hang back. The Chimera in Liore had unsettled them all and he wouldn't force them to see more of the creatures. Both said they'd go with them.

"We would appreciate the opportunity." Al accepted before Ed could. Tucker stood from the table and, once he ensured Nina was still outdoors with Alexander by looking out the massive windows, he led the way down to his lab. Ed and the others were overtaken by the various noises coming from the darkened lab when Tucker opened the door.

"It's kind of embarrassing but I'm widely regarded as an authority on chimeras. The truth is it hasn't been going that well." Tucker said sheepishly and sadly. Ed could sympathise. After a quick scan of his notes, Ed realised he needed to know more about the actual alchemy than just the part that focused on chimeras. This was something he relayed to Tucker who nodded in understanding. He led them to another room and once Ed saw what was inside, he almost forgot about the massive spider still perched on Tucker's shoulder. It was a massive room of books.

"Wow! Amazing!" He exclaimed at the same time as Ayala let out an appreciative noise.

"This is my library. Feel free to look around." He barely finished the offer before Ed and Al were already moving towards the first shelf.

"Alright, than. I'll start with this shelf!" Ed called out to Al. Ayala knocked books down and created a pile for Ed to read.

"Okay, I'll start over here!" Al called out, somewhere behind Ed. Mustang watched all of this with a bemused expression. His eyes lingered on Ed for a moment. He'd been worried Ed hadn't been getting enough sleep but right now he looked as alert and awake as ever.

"I'm going to head back to work now. I'll send someone by later to pick you up." Mustang told them. He couldn't linger anymore or he'd be killed by a certain blonde haired lieutenant. He also knew what the brothers were like when they got to deep into their reading, hence why he said he'd organise a pick up for them. To his and Tucker's amusement, neither Elric nor Animal acknowledged what he'd just said.

"They've got some ability to focus. I'm not sure they even know we're here anymore." Tucker observed. "Quite a catch, these two. A couple of prodigies." He said, a little quieter as he watched Ed absorb the book he was reading. Ed and Al never noticed Mustang, Nala and Tucker leaving them to their own devices. They devoured book after book, trying to learn as much as they could in the time they had. Ayala and Chester watched them carefully. Neither Animal could shake this slightly wrong feeling they had whenever Tucker was nearby.

 **A/N- I know right?! I added another chapter within a week of my last update! Don't get used to it, though. As you realised, I used as many original lines from the episodes as I could. I also had a couple of days spare and pulled an all-nighter to get this chapter up as I want as much of this story up before Christmas as possible. I cut it off where I did because I want to write Nina and the boys interacting as much as I can before the inevitable happens as I do not plan to change that event for reason I'll explain at a later date. Also, not sure if I actually said this in the story but Molly is a Quarian or Cockatiel, depending what you called them growing up. I also gave Tucker a spider mainly because I despise spiders with every fiber of my being. I also hate Tucker that much. As always, thank you so much for reading this story and please leave me review with any praises, critiques or comments you have!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15-**

Edward and Alphonse were busy getting lost in all the knowledge they'd been given access too, thanks to Shou Tucker. Ed had made himself comfortable next to the pile of books Ayala had put together for him and was helping Ayala with reading her books. It was system they'd perfected during all the hours spent in the library. He'd be focused on his book with his flesh hand resting just on Ayala's and once she was finished with the pages she was reading, he'd flip the page for her. It minimised the tears she'd sometime put in books when she tried it herself. All she had to do was nudge his fingers to let him know. Sometimes she had to do something more if he was too far into a book and that had caused a couple of ruined gloves and startled swear words when she'd accidentally drawn blood. It meant that they got twice as much information in the same time frame.

Al had never been able to focus on his books as well as his brother did. He didn't tune out the world as effectively as Ed seemed to be able too. While Chester was busy exploring the shelves to find the best napping spot, Al was dutifully reading. He wanted to get through as many books as Ed did in the week they had. That's what he was doing when Chester's ears flicked and he was suddenly watching a certain shelf with new alertness. Al followed his leopards lead and watched the shelf carefully to try and see what had caught his Animal's attention. He didn't have to wait long. A little while later, a red-brown braid and big, blue eye came into view. Nina was barely peeking around the corner when she'd realised Al and Chester were watching her and she'd quickly withdrawn, much to Al's amusement. Carefully marking his page and closing his book, Al waited for her to make another appearance.

"Hello." His voice was all smile when he caught her gaze. She didn't hide now that she'd definitely been discovered. Instead, she shyly walked around the shelf so she was fully in view. "My name's Alphonse, but you can call me Al. This is Chester." He introduced them and she grinned when she realised she wasn't going to be scolded for being in the library or disturbing the strangers.

"My name's Nina!" She said excitedly as she approached the two of them. A quick glance had told Al that Ed and Ayala weren't in sight. She set her sights on Chester. "Chester is so pretty!" She gushed. Al felt his leopard almost glow with the compliment.

"Chester says 'thank you'. He thinks your braids are pretty as well." Al told her. While Chester hadn't said that, he didn't argue and the little girl's grin grew brighter. "What're you doing in your dad's library?" Al asked because, aside from him and Ed, he hadn't known or seen many kids in a library, especially one alchemy based.

"Me and Alexander wanted to explore and see what you were doing." She told him. Al had almost forgotten about the massive dog that had been outside with her. He looked around but couldn't see it.

"Where is Alexander?" He asked her curiously. If she'd been older, Al would've sworn the fluffball was her Animal with how close they seemed to be.

"I dunno. Looking somewhere else, I think." She shrugged, not overly concerned her playmate wasn't nearby. Not now that she had two potential playmates. "Do you wanna play?" She asked, blue eyes full of hope and Al had to wonder if Ed had somehow given this kid lessons in 'puppy-dog eyes'. Aside from the colouring, they were almost identical. Deciding taking a break for a couple of hours couldn't hurt, he nodded and Nina jumped up and down in excitement.

"What do you wanna play?" He asked the excitable girl. She stopped her excitable antics and pulled an almost comical thinking face, finger tapping her chin and brows furrowed in concentration. Suddenly, she lit up when she finally settled on an idea and Al couldn't help but laugh at her enthusiasm.

Chester was glad that Al wasn't focusing solely on the books like his brother. He wanted Al to remember that he was still just a child, no matter the fact that they worked for the military or what they'd done. That didn't, however, mean he was going to let himself be roped into whatever games they came up with easily. So he leapt up to the top of a bookshelf, easily out of their reach and proceeded to watch Nina beg Al to get him to come back down. Al's efforts were valiant but he barely twitched. He had experience with small children, thanks to their travels. He and his tail weren't going through all that again. It took a few minutes but Nina eventually relented in her missions of getting Chester to come down and she and Al started playing together while Chester watched through a barely-open eye.

Ed twitched slightly. He could've sworn he'd heard something again. He quickly dismissed it again when no further sound was forthcoming. Ayala hadn't reacted to anything either so he'd honestly thought he was just imagining hearing something in the quiet library. Just as he was about to go back to his book, he heard it again and this time he realised what he'd been hearing. Giggling. Specifically, Al's laughter and a little girl's giggles. Standing up and stretching, both he and Ayala followed the sounds to their source. They finally came across Al a few massive bookshelves over, playing with Nina while Chester watched from his spot. Al was holding Nina up and placing her up on his shoulder so she could grab one of his massive shoulder spikes, only for her to slide down his back.

"Woo-hoo! Way up high!" He laughed as she squealed in delight when he repeated the same moves as before, lifting her high in the air.

"Al, what're you doing? You're supposed to be reading!" Ed reminded his brother, a little more harshly than he meant. Al paused in his movements and Nina was placed back on the ground. She looked a little worried, thinking she would be in trouble as well.

"Nina wanted to play, brother." Al told him. Ed frowned.

"Well in case you've forgotten, we're not here to play around!" Ed scolded. They only had a week here, even less if Tucker decided he didn't want them in his house anymore. They didn't have time to waste mucking around with anything. Ayala and Chester both picked up a new sound coming towards them and they almost immediately recognised who was approaching and their intentions. Ayala debated for a moment about what she should do and decided against doing anything. Hopefully this would work out how she hoped it would. Barely a second later, Ed was suddenly on the ground with a massive, white mass on his back. His attacker barked at Nina and Al, who were laughing at his predicament.

"Alexander says he wants to play too." Nina giggled as Ed wriggled his way free from under said dog. Shooting Ayala a dirty look, he turned back to the dog.

"So that's what you want, huh? You realise that I'm forced to take your attack as an act of war?" He challenged the dog who was currently bouncing away from him, tongue lolling out of his mouth. Ayala grinned when she felt Ed give in to his childish tendencies and jokingly threaten Alexander. Nina and Al seemed to pick up on this too as they laughed at Ed's dramatics. The dog barked at the golden haired child and took off, heading for outside. Ed and Ayala were hot on his heels and Al had grabbed Nina so they could follow. Chester decided the possibility of seeing Edward lose to a massive mutt was far more enticing than the nap he'd thought about taking.

Ed paused in his chase momentarily to adjust to the brightness outside before he continued chasing after Alexander. Ayala was happy, running alongside her human. This was what she'd been hoping for when she'd decided against knocking Edward out of the way of Alexander's tackle. Her human was doing something child-like instead of working himself to exhaustion. Edward had to admit that he was having fun. It was a nice change to be chasing after something or someone who's main goal wasn't trying to kill him or hurt someone else. Nina soon joined in on the chase though she teamed up with Alexander, using him as a horse. Once Ed finally managed to catch them both, with a little help from Ayala, they spent the rest of the afternoon playing less energetic games. Ed showed Nina how to make a flower crown, though his wasn't nearly as good as Al's. He also entertained her with small alchemy feats. Al joined in with him and they spent a good hour making different figurines at her request. She never seemed to run out of animals or objects she wanted made. Ed didn't mind since the energy used making them was minimal and he honestly enjoyed making her happy.

Alexander soon barked another challenge at Edward and they were back to chasing each other around though this time they were joined by Chester, who had joined Ed's team, making it three on two until Al decided to even the score. Al played dirty, even against his own leopard, something Chester took as a personal challenge. Soon the challenge was almost completely fought dirty, alchemy against alchemy, Animal against animal. Alphonse almost won when he managed to trap Ayala and Chester together, much to Nina's delight, but Ed evaded the trap meant for him and freed the two Animals and the chase was on again. In the end, they'd all ended up collapsed on the ground in exhaustion (though Al could've kept going for forever since he couldn't get tired) and they came to a temporary truce. Nina was happily giving them her opinion on what trick she'd liked best when a few clicking noises sounded and a familiar face suddenly loomed over them.

"Lieutenant Colonel Hughes?" Ed was confused as he sat up. He hadn't heard anything about the man coming to East City, not that he'd expected Mustang to pass along that sort of information, but he did think that Hawkeye or someone else from the team would've mentioned it. "What're you doing here?" He and Al stood up to face him and Nina was watching Hughes while standing right next to Alexander.

"Hey, Ed! Long time, no see! Wait until you see the new photos of my darling wife and daughter-!" Ed cut him off.

"Hughes, I'll look at them later. What are you doing here?" He emphasised the last word. Hughes gave Ed a hurt look but moved his hand away from his breast pocket. Leo came into view at that moment. "Hey, Leo!" Ed called once he spotted the fox.

 _"Hello, Edward. I'm sorry I didn't tell you we were in town. Maes wanted to surprise you."_ Leo explained. The fox had pointed at that telling the boy they were coming would ensure he was still in town when they arrived but Hughes was having none of it, especially after he had talked to Roy and his best friend had told him where the young alchemist was. Hughes wasn't sure if he should be insulted or not by the fact that Mustang had sounded more excited giving him that information than he was about accepting Hughes's invite to dinner that night.

"I'm in town on an Investigations matter and thought I should say hello to my favourite blonde alchemist." He grinned at Edward. The bit about him being here for work caught Ed's attention. He knew Maes rarely left Central for work related reasons. It must be pretty big if one of the most prominent investigators was here. "Hello, Alphonse! It's good to see you again." Hughes didn't give Ed the chance to ask about the work that brought him here and Ed knew it was on purpose.

 _"He'll explain later, I promise. This isn't something to talk about in front of a little kid."_ Leo looked pointedly at Nina, who was busy introducing herself and Alexander to Hughes. Nina was thankfully spared the threat of photos. She was busy telling Hughes everything they'd done that afternoon and showing off her newest toys the boys had made her. He was a very willing audience, showing off the skills he'd learnt with Elysia. Once Nina ran out things to talk about, Hughes turned his attention back to the boys.

"Since I'm in town, how about you two join me for dinner? My treat?" He offered casually. Ed and Al both knew this was a way for him to talk about why he was here without it being discussed in front of Nina.

"Sure." Ed shrugged nonchalantly. "I missed lunch anyway." Nina watched the conversation with sad eyes.

"You're leaving?" She asked, bottom lip trembling. Al was the quickest to stop the impending tears.

"We'll be back tomorrow to play some more though, okay?" He said soothingly. Her face brightened immediately.

"Okay! I'll see you tomorrow, big brothers!" She almost shouted in her excitement at their promise.

"We gotta make sure it's okay with your dad first though. How about we go say goodbye and ask?" Ed suggested. Nina nodded and took off, Alexander bounding after her, to find her father. Hughes, the brothers and the Animals followed at a more sedated pace. Maes was busy gushing about his family when they finally joined up with Nina and her father.

"Would it be okay for us to visit again tomorrow and read some more?" Ed asked almost immediately.

"Of course. You're welcome to visit my library as much as you'd like. And thank you for keeping Nina entertained today as well. She's been telling me about your adventures this afternoon." Ivana shuffled in her spot as Tucker spoke. Ed felt himself almost shudder. He'd never get used to that spider.

"It was our pleasure." Al took over the goodbye since he had a feeling his older brother wouldn't be as eloquent as he should be. "Thank you for letting us use your library and for letting us visit again. We'll see you tomorrow." Ed knew enough to at least offer a small bow in gratitude without Al having to elbow him. With a final wave goodbye and assurance they'd be back, Hughes led them towards the car he'd borrowed.

"So what'd you want to tell us?" Ed asked almost before Hughes had even started the car. Al and Maes shook their heads at his impatience. Ed ignored them and kept his eyes focused on Hughes.

"There's a serial killer in East City." Maes finally gave in. Ed and Al looked at each other with confusion. They knew they weren't exactly in the loop considering they were rarely in the city and they also didn't exactly care when they were. They were always too busy at the library and they only ever heard about something if one of the librarians said something to them. Having said that, they figured a serial killer in East City would be big news.

"We haven't heard anything." Ed finally admitted. Maybe the killer was a soldier or ex-military member and the military was keeping it under wraps to save themselves from the embarrassment?

"No, you probably wouldn't have." Hughes admitted. "I should've been clearer. A serial killer who has been active all over Amestris is now in East City." That made a bit more sense.

"So you're here trying to find him?" Al asked. Hughes nodded in confirmation.

"Yes. I only took over the case a week or so ago. This killer is extremely dangerous and he's very intelligent. He's killed ten people so far and he hasn't been sighted until recently." Hughes told them. Leo gave him an odd look but he ignored him. He was still debating if he was going to tell either boy that the killer was targeting State Alchemist's. It did mean giving Ed some warning but didn't want to scare him or Al and they had their Animals to help them. Leo kept staring at him. He wasn't saying anything but Hughes didn't need him too. He sighed before giving in to his Animal. "He's targeting State Alchemists." There was a few moments of silence until...

"Seriously? He's going after and successfully killing State Alchemists?" Edward asked incredulously. While no State Alchemist was on his level, they were still State Alchemists which meant they weren't stupid or powerless. For someone to have killed ten of them and not been seen until recently meant this person was either exceptionally lucky or had some extremely formidable training.

"Yes. I'm not telling you this so that you'll go after him, Edward. I know you. I'm only telling you so you'll be careful. Don't go anywhere if you absolutely don't have too. Leave this for me to take care of." He implored the young blonde. Ed looked like he wanted to argue that he could help or at least point out that he could look after himself.

"We'll be careful. I swear. We won't go looking for him." He finally gave in. Not that it was really a big fight. He may be impulsive and ready to take on anything to prove he isn't some kid who needed to be protected but he wasn't called a genius for nothing. Someone who could take on ten State Alchemists singlehandedly and come away without a scratch wasn't someone Ed wanted to go up against. Not while he still had promises to keep. Maes gave an almost inaudible sigh of relief.

"Thank you. Now let's get some dinner so I can show you the most adorable photos of my beautiful little girl and wonderful wife!" Hughes gushed and Ed rolled his eyes at AL, who giggled in response. They loved Hughes's enthusiasm about his family and they actually enjoyed the hundreds of photos he constantly showed them. Neither Elric could figure out why Mustang hated them so much but they both got pleasure out of watching him suffer, Ed more so than Al. They pulled up at a restaurant Ed had only walked past and spotted a familiar figure and Animal waiting the door.

"Did you forget to mention something, Hughes?" Ed asked bitingly. Hughes gave a nervous chuckle as they clambered out of the car.

"Did I forget to say that Roy would be joining us?" Ed narrowed his eyes at the non-alchemist. He'd sooner believe Truth was friendly than Hughes forgetting something like that.

"Please be nice, brother. The Lieutenant Colonel is being nice and he's buying you dinner." Alphonse pleaded with Ed. Ed was about to say something when Maes realised something off with what Al said.

"I'm buying you both dinner, Alphonse." He said, confused. Al flinched as he realised his slip up.

"Oh, don't worry about me. I had a massive lunch at the Tucker's and I'm honestly not hungry. I'll grab something later." Al lied. Edward looked away from his brother. He'd forgotten that Al couldn't eat when he'd accepted the invite. He hated that he could forget something like that. Maes flicked his eyes between the two brothers and thought, not for the first time, that something was going on. Mustang had evidently gotten impatient with them and walked over, Nala trailing behind before she sped up to get to Ed first. She greeted him much more warmly than her human did.

"Hughes, you never mentioned you were inviting the Elrics when you invited me out." Nala rolled her eyes at him. She knew he'd suspected Hughes would do something like this.

"That may be because you kicked me out of your office before I could." Maes retorted and Ed couldn't suppress his snort. Typical Mustang. Said man glared at Ed who simply rolled his eyes, much to the amusement and, in Al's case, semi-horror of everyone else. Ed gave Nala a scratch behind her ears.

"If Mustang doesn't think he can handle spending a single dinner in my company, I'm happy to head back to the library. I've still got research there to get through." Ed offered even though his offer was total challenge to Mustang. Something Mustang wasn't going to take lying down.

"I'm surprised you haven't read every book in the library yet." Mustang smirked. "I'm sure Hughes has a reason for gathering us all together. And since he's paying for all of us, I suggest we run his tab up." Ed had never agreed with Mustang more than he did in that moment.

"Hey, let's just remember that I've got to have money left to buy presents for my precious girls!" Hughes said gleefully as Mustang rolled his eyes.

"Let's just go eat." Mustang said as he led them into the restaurant. Ed was kinda annoyed at the fact that he expected them to dutifully follow and he kinda hated the fact that he did so anyway. Though he found some solace in the fact that Nala was happily walking next to him and Ayala.

 _"How are you liking the Tucker's library?"_ Nala asked as they waited to be seated.

"Yeah it's really good. There's so many books in there and we barely made a dent today. I didn't think bio-alchemy would be so fascinating. Tucker is a good host. He left us alone the entire day. I guess he had studying of his own to do or something. Nina was a force to be reckoned with. She ended up roping me and Al into playing with her for a good three hours this afternoon." He told her.

 _"That's great. Do you think knowing about bio-alchemy will help in the long run?"_ She asked. Ed shook his head.

"I'm not sure. It very well could or we may end up having spent however long we keep getting access simply studying an alchemy we'll never end up using." He shrugged. He really needed more information on both the stone and bio-alchemy before he knew if it helped. The waitress found them a table and led them over to it so they could peruse the menu and order. She left once they placed their drinks order.

"So, Hughes. Why did you gather us together and neglect to tell everyone?" Mustang asked straight to the point.

"I just wanted to enjoy the few whinge-free hours I had and I knew Ed might protest as well." Maes flashed Ed a shadow of a wink as they waited for what Maes had just said to sink in with the whole diner party.

"Hey!" Mustang protested as the penny dropped and Ed couldn't stifle his snicker quick enough. Thankfully, Hughes's laughter covered his own so Mustang's attention was quickly grabbed by his best friend and not his youngest subordinate. Even though he had no facial expressions, Ed could sense the 'stop being a shit' expression he was aiming at him. The waitress timed her return perfectly. The glaring contest was called off in favour of ordering food. Mustang grumbled under his breath. "At least answer my question." Maes decided he probably should.

"I already told Ed and I'm sure you've already been informed but there is a serial killer loose in East City who's been targeting State Alchemists. He has already killed ten. His last victim was old man Grand." Hughes locked eyes with Mustang who looked beyond shocked.

"The Major General? But he was an expert in weapons transmutations!" Mustang exclaimed. Ed and Al exchanged looks. They had no idea who Grand was but he was a Major General and a State Alchemist which meant he would've been tough to take down. "Who do you have helping you with this?" Mustang asked.

"My entire team and Major Armstrong are here with me. The Fuhrer has been very clear that this takes president over any other matter Investigations is tasked dealing with. I'm just warning the two of you of the dangers." He indicated to the two State certified alchemists dining with him. "Both of you need to be careful. Even though I say he's in this city, I could be wrong and he might be somewhere else but I doubt it." He admitted.

"Why do you think he's in East City in the first place?" Mustang asked. In all the time he'd known the irritating man, he'd never been wrong about a hunch.

"Well, he was seen in the Central Train Station near the train bound for East City but there aren't any confirming reports that he boarded the train. I think he did though and the Fuhrer obviously agreed with me since he permitted me taking my team and Armstrong here to investigate." Hughes explained. Mustang nodded. It was as he expected. "Now, let's stop talking about work and talk about more enjoyable things! Roy, you haven't seen my newest photos of my gorgeous girls!" Edward was beyond amused with Mustang's resigned expression and didn't bother hiding it when the black-haired alchemist looked at him. Mustang got an idea.

"Why don't you show Fullmetal? You haven't given him new ones since last time you two saw each other." He said, a shit-eating grin slowly unfurling only for it to disappear when he realised Ed didn't look angry about the threat of photo-overload.

"Oh, he's already seen these ones! He and Alphonse both adored them!" Mustang's hopes were crushed right in front of him. Edward was the one now sporting a shit-eating grin as he watched Mustang being subjected to the ultimate form of torture; photos of a little girl and his best friends enthusiastic and lengthy retelling of every story behind every photo. The only salvation, though brief, was the waitresses return with their food. Hughes seemed to inhale his faster than Edward himself so that he could return to regaling Mustang with his adorable stories. Ed and Al were left to their own devices for the most part, neither of whom really minded as they took this as an opportunity to discuss the literature they'd read that day. Ayala and Chester gave their inputs, Ayala discussing what she'd read and Chester merely reminding Al of points he'd forgotten. Nala and Leo listened through Ed and offered their own inputs when they could.

After Mustang had finished his dinner and Hughes had run out of photos to show (torture) him with, they finally left the restaurant. The Elrics and Mustang hung outside while they waited for Hughes to settle the bill. Ed and Al were having a semi-quiet argument about where they were going after they'd said goodnight to the two older men. Chester and Ayala were keeping out of it, if the slightly bored looks on their faces were any indication. Mustang had enough.

"What are you two bickering about?" Ed shot him a glare.

"None of your business, nosy bastard." Ed snapped. Al sighed, even though he couldn't actually sigh.

"Brother wants to go back to the Alchemist library tonight instead of the dorms. I think Ed is being an idiot because there's a killer on the loose and the library _solely used by State Alchemists_ would be the first place he'd look." Al shot Ed a dirty look when the elder brother rolled his eyes at his little brother's worries.

"And, aside from base, there is no where else safer. You need an State Alchemists watch to get through the doors." Ed pointed out. Al groaned at his stubborness.

"You won't get any sleep if we're at the library!" Ed growled at this argument. The fact that his brother was still pressing this issue when he could and the fact that he was doing it in front of Mustang was just an added insult.

"Leave it alone, Alphonse. I'm not tired and I won't sleep even if we're at the dorms." Ed ground out. Mustang wished he was more surprised at learning his youngest subordinate was still keeping an irregular sleeping schedule.

"Alphonse, while I'm sure you have your brother's best interests at heart, you and I both know that if your brother was any more stubborn, Ayala would've been a mule." Both Ayala and Ed growled at him. He ignored them. "He also has a point. The East City Library is a very secure building, much more so than the dorms. Why don't you both go there and I'll send Havoc by in the morning to take you back to Tucker's?" He offered, looking back in the restaurant to see what was taking Hughes so long. He was showing the waitress photos of his family. Mustang wondered if his best friend was actually insane.

"Fine. We'll see Havoc in the morning than." Ed said after pointedly staring at Alphonse who gave in. "Tell Hughes thanks for dinner. Come on, Al." Ed saif huffily as moved past Mustang and Nala. Mustang's arm shot out to grab his flesh one. "What do you think you're doing? Let me go!" He snarled, trying to wrench his arm out of Mustang's grip. Mustang didn't let go.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked, a tad angry. Edward stared at him like he was nuts. Al was fidgeting where he stood as though he couldn't decided to help his brother or leave the two alchemists alone. Ayala wasn't sensing any ill-will from Mustang but that didn't mean she appreciated him treating her human so roughly nor did she appreciate Nala blocking her from helping Ed.

"Didn't think you were so old you had memory problems, Colonel Bastard. We literally just said we were going to the library so let me go!" Ed snapped, still trying to get his arm free. Mustang's grip was almost like automail. Ed figured he'd probably have bruises. Even Ayala was starting to notice the pressure.

"Evidently, you're the one with the memory problems. Did you forget about the serial killer targeting State Alchemists that's currently in this city?" He asked sarcastically. Ed glared at him as he stopped struggling. Hughes had finally given up torturing the poor waitress and joined them outside. He wasn't as surprised as he should be to see Mustang and Edward in a fight.

"Of course I didn't forget. The library is ten minutes away and most of that walk is in a busy neighbourhood! We'll be fine!" Ed protested. Hughes arched an eyebrow.

"You're going to the library?" He asked disbelievingly.

"Not until Mustang lets go of my arm. Something he has three seconds to do before I break his." He threatened. Mustang, while not intimidated, did let go of the blondes arm. Ed rubbed the area he'd been holding to get rid of the ache. Ayala moved to sit at Ed's feet while she took up the job of glaring at the black haired man. Al moved next to Ed, hovering worriedly.

"Are you okay, brother? Chester said he was gripping really tightly." Al asked, keeping his voice low so the two talking adults couldn't hear him. Ed rolled his eyes.

"I'm fi- How did he know?" Ed started reassuring Al but then his brother's words actually sunk in. The only Animal who should've been able to tell exactly how tight Mustang was holding his arm was Ayala. Al suddenly went completely still and Ed knew he'd let something slip he wasn't supposed too. Judging from Chester's face, it was something big. "Alphonse Elric. What haven't you told me?" His voice was low and forcibly calm. Al noticed Mustang and Hughes's attentions being brought back to them.

"Uh maybe we should talk about it in private?" He twitched his helmet pointedly at the other two. Ed glared at them for a moment and jerkily nodded his head at his little brother.

"We will be talking about this later." He ground out, causing his brother to nod his head quickly in agreement and a promise. Turning back to the original source of his annoyance, he faced Mustang. "Wanna spit out your reason for grabbing me or can we go?" He snapped. Mustang raised a brow at the surprising level of venom in his question but he let it slide. It wasn't anything unusual in respects to how the kid normally spoke to him.

"You're not walking to the library by yourselves. Hughes and I will drop you off. I will make it an order if necessary, Fullmetal." He added the threat before the blonde could rant his protests. Ed muttered under his breath but ultimately didn't argue.

"Fucking whatever. Can we go?" Ed absolutely did _not_ sulk.

"Of course, Ed. I'll drop you two off first then drop Roy home." Hughes smiled as he led the way to his car. Ed just nodded in agreement as they all clambered into the car and Hughes headed for the library. The short car ride was not exactly pleasant. Almost as soon as Hughes pulled up in front of the massive building, Ed was out of the car, tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for Al and the two Animals to catch up.

"Thanks for dinner, Hughes. Bye Nala, Leo." Ed said as he headed up the stairs, Ayala at his heels. Al and Chester remained behind for a moment.

"Thank you for dinner, Lieutenant Colonel. I'm sorry brother is in a mood tonight. Have a good night, sirs." He bowed slightly before chasing his older brother down. Mustang and Hughes watched until they saw both Elrics disappear into the library before Hughes pulled away and headed for Roy's house.

"I wonder what was so important Al couldn't tell Ed in front of us?" Hughes mused. Mustang sighed.

"Who knows with those boys? They have more secrets than the military." Mustang said straight-faced. Nala could feel the curiosity and overwhelming worry rolling in her human. He was just as worried about them and she was. She just hoped this secret wasn't as bad as Al thought it was.

Ed managed to make it to their table, greeting the librarian who had the night shift, before he spun and faced his brother, arms crossed and a expectant expression adorning his features. Al was suddenly reminded why most bad guys confessed their crimes when Ed looked at them. Even Chester was nervous. The leopard was sitting at Al's feet, looking everywhere except at Ed. Said boy was now tapping one finger against the opposite arm as he waited.

"Please don't get angry, brother. We were going to tell you but there's never been a good time." Al sounded so much like the child he was. Edward never said anything, just stood there and waited. Al took a mental deep breath. "Chester could tell Mustang was gripping your arm too tightly because he could feel it." Al kept his voice as steady as possible and waited quietly once he'd finished talking. The silence was deafening as they waited for the words to sink in and the yelling to start. He felt Chester prepare himself for the verbal onslaught as well.

Only, the yelling never came. Al glanced at his brother to find him looking dumbfounded. That expression morphed into shock then realisation and the a heart-wrenching mix of guilt and horror. After a moment, Ed sat heavily on his usual chair and buried his face in his hands. Ayala was right there, nosing at his hands and whining worriedly.

"I'm sorry." Ed's voice cracked as he whispered the two words out loud. "I'm so sorry, Chester."

 _"Why are you apologising?"_ Chester asked, voice unusually soft. He'd opened up his conversation to both brothers so Al could hear what he was saying as well.

"You don't need to apologise, Ed. We should be the ones saying sorry for keeping this from you!" Al offered his own apology. Ed shook his head.

"It's been bad enough enough knowing that every time I got hurt from whatever stupid decision I made, Ayala was sharing that pain. The fact that she's my Animal and that I share her pain from her stupid, injury-inducing decisions is the only reason I've been able to cope with it. But knowing that Chester has to share my pain too? He's not my Animal! He shouldn't be subjected to that!" Ed wasn't crying when he looked up but his eyes were bright with unshed tears. The moment he'd lifted his head, Ayala was there, nuzzling the underside of his jaw.

 _"That's why we didn't tell you. We both knew you'd feel this way and neither of us wanted that. I don't share your pain to the same degree Ayala does. All I feel is the dulled down version of it. Kinda like how you'd feel when you're pumped full of painkillers only without the loopiness that comes with them."_ Chester explained, hoping this information was lessen the boy's guilt. That did make it a little easier to bear, if Ed was being honest with himself.

"How is it possible? I don't share your pain and I know Nala and the others don't feel my pain. They would've told me." Ed asked, for once not being able to come up with a decent answer himself.

"Well, we don't know for certain but we think it has something to do with your theory about our souls being connected after that night, remember?" Ed nodded as Al talked. "We think you do feel Chester's injuries but they're dulled down enough that you don't realise you've felt them. Plus, Chester hasn't been majorly injured yet so you've only ever felt dulled minor wounds. If we're correct about this than it means that Animal's feel our pain and we feel theirs thanks to their energy stored inside of us. Since Chester's isn't in me, you cope his pain. We think that the reason you two feel dulled down versions of each others pain is because Chester isn't your Animal."

Edward had to admit that that made a lot of sense. If they were right and the shared pain was connected thanks to the Animals energy, it would explain why Nala or Soren or any other Animal didn't feel his pain. No one would've known about this fact either unless they'd somehow become the vessel for two different Animal energies like Ed had. He looked at Chester.

"I'm still sorry for all the pain I've put you threw. The automail surgery alone would've still been painful as fuck." Ed grimaced. Even if that surgery could've been done with painkillers, it still would've been more painful than almost anything.

 _"Well, that's the funny thing. I never felt the automail surgery. I felt your pain about seven months into your rehabilitation with Granny. I'm not sure why I couldn't but I'm glad I didn't have to go through it. Watching Ayala experience it was painful enough."_ Chester admitted as the memory of the wolf's howls and thrashing filled his mind.

"That's weird." Ed admitted as he sat up straight. Al snorted.

"What part of our lives isn't?" He half-joked as Ed cracked a small grin.

"Good point." He said. He went silent for a moment before locking eyes with the leopard. "I know that it can't be helped or stopped until we've completed our goal so I'm just gonna say it now. I'm sorry you've gotta share my pain."

 _"Don't beat yourself up about it. I know you'd change it if you could. I'm willing to endure your pain so long as it means we reach our goal."_ Chester said solemnly. Ed nodded in agreement.

"Than I suggest we get back to the books so we can do that." Ed smirked, grabbing the nearest book and opening it. Al visibly relaxed and mimicked his brother while Ayala and Chester took up their usual places. Al and Chester were both glad to have gotten that secret off of their chests. Al was about to get lost in the knowledge in front of him when Ed's voice broke the comfortable silence. "You ever keep a secret like that from me again and I will turn both your armour and your fur hot pink for a week." Al and Chester snorted as they agreed to his demand and they were all soon entranced in their reading.

Ed ended up napping for a couple of hours that night, much to Al's happiness, but he was wide awake when Havoc turned up to pick them up. After the usual greeting of a salute that would barely pass regs, they headed out, making small talk as Havoc drove them to Tucker's. He walked them up the drive and Ed managed to get the whole way up the walkway without Alexander trying to attack him. A minute or so after they knocked, Tucker answered the door. Ed couldn't see Ivana and that made him a lot more nervous than when he could.

"Ah, good morning. I assume you're here to continue your studies?" Tucker smiled at them.

"Yes, sir. As longs as it's still okay?" Al asked. Ed was still looking for Ivana.

"Of course. Nina is currently having breakfast and I'll see she doesn't disturb you until lunchtime. Do you remember the way?" Tucker asked as he ushered the two boys and big Animals inside. They nodded. "Excellent. You're welcome to go on ahead." He offered and they took off with a goodbye shouted to Havoc from over Ed's shoulder.

"Please let them know I'll be the one coming back to get them this afternoon." Havoc requested as he turned to leave before remembering something. "Oh. Colonel Mustang wanted me to pass along a message. He says 'don't forget, assessment day's coming up'." He noticed Tucker's smile become more forced.

"Yes, I know." His voice lost most of it's pleasant tone even though his lips were still pulled upwards in a smile.

"Right. I'll be back this afternoon for the boys." Havoc reminded him as he headed back for his car. Tucker watched him go and was startled when a little voice sounded just behind him.

"Hey, Daddy? What does 'assessment day' mean?" Nina asked curiously. Evidently she'd finished her breakfast and in her search for her two big brothers, she'd overheard her father talking to Havoc.

"State Alchemists have to report on their research once a year to keep their certification. You see, your dad didn't get a very good evaluation last year, Nina. Unless I do something very impressive this year, I won't be a State Alchemist anymore." He explained to his daughter, dread at the prospect of going back to how they were before pooling in his gut.

"Huh? No! You'll do just fine, Daddy! I know you will! You're always studying so much!" Nina insisted as much as a five year old could. Tucker laughed as he placed a hand on her head and smiled softly down at her.

"You're right, Nina. I have to try hard." The alternative was too hard to imagine. He couldn't go back to being poor. Not after experiencing life like this. He watched as Nina flashed him a bright smile and went to hunt down Alexander so they could play. Ivana found her way over to him and clambered up to her usual spot on his shoulder. He sighed as he shut the doors and headed down to his lab. He needed as much time as he could get to try and come up with something that could save them from becoming poor again.

While Ed and Al were studying dutifully in Tucker's library, Hughes was in his commandeered office, going over every scrap of information he had available to him. He was determined to catch this killer. His team and Armstrong were working around the clock as well, all hoping to catch this man before he killed again. Hughes dreaded that prospect. As far as he knew, Roy, Armstrong and Ed were the only notable State Alchemists in the area and he'd be damned if he let one of them die because he couldn't do his job.

"What I want to know is why this guy is targeting State Alchemists and no one else. If it's the military he's going after, he could just go after normal soldiers. Surely soldiers would be easier to kill than highly skilled alchemists. Especially those who've been state certified." Hughes wondered out loud. Major Armstrong thought for a moment before answering.

"Maybe the certification is the reason why. State Alchemists are given high pay and special privilege. There must be any number of people who envy them for that or," he thought for a moment before continuing. "perhaps they feel as though they haven't upheld their creed. 'Alchemists, be thou for the people'. Alchemists, who are supposed to be pillars of science and truth, are turned into the military's walking weapons as soon as they receive their certification. There are plenty of people, I'm sure, who've not forgotten the role alchemists played in the Ishvallen Civil War." Armstrong finished his theory. Hughes pondered it over as the door opened to reveal one of Armstrong's team members enter the office. The woman, Ross if Hughes's memory served him right, had short black hair and was followed closely by her Animal, a sweet dalmatian called Kaia. She saluted both officers and, once she was released from the salute, faced Hughes.

"Sir, we've received confirmation that a man matching the descriptions given by witnesses was seen boarding a train bound for here. More witnesses say the man has a large scar on his face and was seen leaving East City Station two days ago." She relayed to him. Hughes sighed as he thanked her for the information. At least they had a slightly better description of him.

"Sometimes, I hate it when I'm right. Armstrong, organise as many of your men and other soldiers not on assignment to start a canvas of the station and surrounding area. Let's see if we can pick up his trail. We don't know his habits but let's hope he watches or at least reads up on his targets for a bit before he attacks. Let's use that time to try and catch up with him." Hughes ordered. Armstrong and Ross both saluted as they left to follow their orders. Hughes thought about calling Roy to pass on the information but he was soon distracted by some more soldiers coming in with updates of their own. He decided the update could wait until after work.

Ed and Al had been reading all morning. True to his word, Tucker kept Nina away from the library up until when he sent her to get them for lunch. Ed and Al were grateful for the break and the fact that Tucker was feeding them and the Animals instead of leaving them to fend for themselves. Once they'd finished their sandwiches, Ed having swiped Al's when neither Tucker was watching, they headed back to the library to pick up where they left off only this time, Nina and Alexander joined them. Nina was happy enough to simply colour while she chattered to both of them, forcing Ed to keep one ear open to the outside world so he didn't accidentally ignore the little girl.

"So your mum left two years ago?" Al asked Nina while she drew a photo of her family, mum included.

"Yeah. Daddy said she went back to live with her parents." She said sadly, her scribbling slowing slightly.

"It must get kinda lonely living in this big house with just you and your dad, huh?" Nina shrugged.

"Not really. Daddy's so nice plus I have Alexander to play with too!" The big dog boofed in agreement. "But lately Daddy's been studying in his lab all the time so I guess it has been a bit lonely." She finished sadly. Ed could sympathise with the little girl. Before their useless excuse of a father had abandoned them, Ed could remember trying to show him something or play with him only for him to turn him away and shut himself up in his study. He hated hearing the small amounts of hurt in her voice. Standing up from his spot, he rolled his shoulders back to try and loosen them up.

"Ugh, my shoulders are killing me." He complained as he stretched.

"Maybe you should try moving around, brother?" Al suggested. Ed nodded as he yawned.

"Yeah, that's not a bad idea. Hey, you mangy mutt!" He pointed at Alexander as Ayala stood up as she realised what Ed was about to do. Alexander barked in response. "You look like you could use some exercise!" He decided as Alexander started bounding away playfully. Nina and Al laughed as they watched Ed and Ayala chased Alexander through the library.

"Let's go too, Nina!" Nina squealed in delight as her little big brother picked her up and swung her onto his metal shoulder. They ran out after their big brother and were quickly overtaken by Chester who was determined to take his revenge for the previous day's draw. They were all soon caught up in a game similar to yesterday's and this time, Ed's team was determined to take no prisoners. Edward and Nina's laughter soon rang out as they chased each other around, Ed using his automail to his advantage. Al soon joined in with the laughter as he watched Ed running away from the massive white fluffball and his little sister. Ayala and Chester were racing around them, helping Ed where they could to win the game. After a couple of hours, the amount of time it took for Nina to wear herself and Alexander out, they headed back to the relative cool of the library to relax and get back to their study/colouring. Nina was seemingly determined to draw as many pictures for her big brothers as she could before they had to leave.

Tucker came down at half past five to feed Nina her dinner and ended up inviting the boys to dine with them since Havoc hadn't turned up yet. They took him up on the offer since homecooked meals were a rarity unless they were in the dorms or the Hughes's if they passed through Central on a mission. Tucker wasn't the best cook in the world but they didn't complain. Once Nina had finished her dinner, she didn't go far. She settled on the floor with Alexander and the Animals and played while the other humans talked.

"Nina told us that her mum left two years ago. We're sorry to hear that." Al said as Ed finished up his dinner. Tucker's face fell as he watched Nina play.

"Before I got my State Alchemist certification, our life was terrible. We were so poor in those days. My wife couldn't stand living like that and she left us. I can't afford to fail this assessment. I don't ever want to go back to those days again. I don't think I could." He admitted.

"Don't worry, Daddy! If those people do tell you no, me and Alexander will growl at them until they do say yes!" She told him as Alexander barked in agreement. Ed and Al watched her affectionately.

"You tell them, Nina!" Al laughed at her complete determination. Something crossed Tucker's features, something neither Elric caught.

"Hey, Nina. I've got an idea. How about you and I pay together tomorrow?" Nina's face lit up with excitement at the idea of playing with her dad.

"Really?" She sounded so excited and happy. Ayala and Chester had bad feelings though. They'd never gotten rid of the aversion they had to Tucker but they'd never mentioned anything to their boys since he hadn't done anything bad to their knowledge. But they couldn't get rid of the bad feeling that was growing in their guts.

"Yeah." He told her and she hugged Alexander around the neck.

"Woohoo! Alexander, Daddy says he's gonna play with us tomorrow!" She exclaimed excitedly. Alexander barked at her excitement and the two brothers laughed at them. They finished up their dinner and helped Tucker clean up. They were about to go back to the library to wait for Havoc when there was a knock on the door and Nina ran to get the door. A familiar voice greeted the girl a little hesitantly and Edward smirked as he and Alphonse headed for the door, Tucker trailing behind them. Havoc was doing a good job hiding his nervousness of being confronted with an unknown child. Ed smirked at his dilemma and Havoc shot him a dirty look when he noticed.

"What's wrong, Havoc? She won't bite. Can't say the same about the mutt though." Havoc looked at Alexander a little worriedly until Nina turned an offended look at Edward.

"Alexander wouldn't hurt anyone!" She sounded scandalised. Havoc visibly relaxed and Al laughed at the look Nina was pinning Ed with. She watched them gather their things and her face fell as she realised what that meant. "You're leaving?" She asked, crestfallen.

"We'll be back tomorrow, kiddo." Ed knelt down in front of her and placed his flesh hand on top of her head.

"Promise?" She asked and Ed nodded. That seemed to be enough for her as her face brightened and she threw her arms around Ed's neck. His shock lasted a moment as he hugged her back. "We'll play lots tomorrow, big brother." She squeezed as much as she could before promptly unlatching herself from him and latching as best she could onto Al. He hugged her back as carefully as he could, making sure he didn't hurt her. After she gave Chester and Ayala a hug goodbye, she disappeared back into the house while Ed watched her go while Al thanked Tucker again for his hospitality and getting permission for them to come back the next day. They said their goodbyes to him and followed Havoc to the waiting car.

"What's wrong with you?" Ed asked Ayala through their connection. He'd felt Ayala's uneasiness around Tucker the whole time they'd been around him and he'd felt that uneasiness grow exponentially during dinner and as they left. Since he and Chester didn't have the same bond as he and Ayala, he could only feel the leopards feelings when their connection was active and it currently wasn't. He never thought to ask either.

 _"I have a bad feeling about Tucker."_ Ayala admitted. Ed shot her a confused look.

"Why? He hasn't done anything except feed us and let us go through his library." He hadn't picked up any bad vibes from the man and he prided himself on being able to tell whether someone was bad news. He was almost always right.

 _"I can't explain it. I just... I don't know how to put it into words. I just have this horrible feeling he's done something unspeakable and that feeling got worse when he was talking about what their life used to be like."_ She explained as best she could. She was worried about Ed returning back to that house in the morning. _"I don't want you or Al to go back tomorrow. Please don't go back to that house."_ She begged as they stopped near the car.

"What are you talking about? We need to go back! There's all those books to get through and we promised Nina." Ed looked at her like she was insane.

 _"I know that Ed but please don't go back. There's something wrong with that man! He's gonna do something horrible!"_ She pleaded but Ed was shaking his head as he got in the back of the car.

"He's just anxious about his certification. That's all you sensed." He dismissed her concerns. "Havoc, can you just drop us at the library?" The older blonde nodded his head and Al didn't protest since he knew Ed would throw last nights points back at him.

 _"Edward, please listen to me. We shouldn't go back-"_ She started but Ed cut her off.

"Ayala, enough. Tucker may be creepy. Anyone with a spider as their Animal has to be but he's not dangerous. He's just stressed about his certification. That's all it is. We'll turn up tomorrow and you'll realise you overreacted." The tone of his voice told Ayala this conversation was done. She was beyond frustrated with her human. Al noticed the atmosphere between the two of them.

"is everything okay, brother?" He asked quietly. Havoc had felt the change in mood behind him and kept an ear on the conversation. Mustang had asked him to make sure they were okay. Apparently something had happened the night previous and Mustang was concerned

"Yeah, don't worry about it, Al." Ed flashed him a smile and the car ride fell silent once again. Al wasn't happy with the lack of an answer but he left it alone. Havoc could tell something was up but if the kid wouldn't tell his brother, he figured there'd be no way he'd talk to him so he wouldn't ask. They made it to the library with no problems and hopped out of the car once Havoc told them he'd be back in the morning to pick them up. Havoc watched them until they disappeared into the library before he finally headed back for his own place for the night.

Ayala and Ed weren't acting how they normally did and Al would be lying if he said he wasn't concerned. Chester had picked up on the change almost as soon as they'd finished their conversation in the car but he didn't know what it was over nor had he asked. He wanted to know, he really did, but he didn't want to get in between the two of them. This was a problem they needed to work through and he told Al as much. That didn't mean they had to like it.

Ed could feel Ayala sulking. Sulking wasn't really the best word to describe it but it was close enough. He knew she was mad that he wasn't taking her pleading seriously and he knew she was worried because of this feeling she had. She'd tried to describe it but it was hard and the fact that Ed wasn't getting the same vibe from Tucker made things even more complicated. They'd always been in sync when it came to what their guts told them about strangers. Ayala didn't want her feelings about Tucker to be right but the main feeling she got from the man was that he had done something in his life that was unspeakably evil. The fact that his Animal hadn't done more than engage in small talk with either herself or Chester made her even more sure he was hiding something.

Ed really didn't know how to feel. Teacher had always taught him to trust his gut, especially if Ayala's agreed with him but she'd never taught him what to do if Ayala got a feeling that so intensely different to his. He could feel the bitter disappointment mixed in with the other feelings swirling through their bond and he had to admit that that hurt. It was almost like knowing your mum was immensely disappointed in you. Ayala wasn't even helping them study, choosing to nap beside him instead but he could still feel how hurt she was. He buried himself in his books to try and drown himself in the knowledge they offered instead of focusing on the emotions coming through his bond.

Havoc picked them up at the same time as he had the day before. The tension between Ayala and Ed was still there but there was an almost nervous energy between them now. Ed knew that once they got back to that house, either he or Ayala would be proven wrong. He was absolutely certain of that. The day was dreary and Ed felt his ports aching more than they normally did. It was going to rain sometime today. They pulled up to the now familiar gates of the Tucker estate and Havoc watched them walk up the pathway instead of accompanying them like he'd done the day previous. Once they'd knocked on the door, he drove away.

They knocked on the door and heard Havoc leaving. Ayala and Chester were shifting nervously. There was a dangerous feeling in the air. Like something unthinkable was waiting for them inside. Ayala and Chester didn't want them going inside. It felt too similar to that night they'd committed the taboo. Not quite as evil but nearly. Al knocked on the door again and when they got no answer, Ed and Al entered the house anyway.

"Thanks for having us again today, Mr Tucker!" Al called out into the dimly light house. Silence was all that answered him. Ed frowned in confusion as they started moving through the house to find their host. "Hello? Mr Tucker?"

"Nina? Alexander?" Ed called as they cleared the kitchen and dining rooms, heading for the laboratory and library. They checked every room they passed, making sure the enthusiastic five year old and her mongrel or her father weren't inside and simply hadn't heard them. They finally reached the laboratory and both Animals were beyond fidgety. Neither boy really noticed as they swung the door open and let the light illuminate the inside of the dark room, revealing Shou Tucker with Ivana on his shoulder crouching in front of a mostly white creature that had long, shaggy red-brown hair. Both inhabitants turned to face the brothers.

"There you are, Mr Tucker. We thought you weren't home." Al said, relieved to have found their host. Ayala and Chester both went completely stiff with horror as they realised what they were looking at but neither of their humans had noticed the change in their behaviour. They were too busy looking at the odd creature in front of them.

"Yes." Tucker turned to face them, a strange and unidentifiable look on his face. "I did it, boys. I finally did it. A chimera that understands human speech. Here, let me show you." Edward watched as he approached the chimera, who was totally focused on its creator. Tucker pointed to Edward as he spoke to the creature slowly. "Listen to me. That person over there, that's Edward." The dog-like creature turned its big head slowly and locked almost familiar brown eyes with Ed.

"That person... Ed... Ward." It's voice was deep and slow and unsure. Ed gasped in amazement and Al couldn't believe what he'd witnessed.

"That's amazing! It really can talk!" He placed a hand on the red-brown hair that actually felt familiar but Ed didn't notice as he looked at the creature in awe.

"Now I don't have to worry about losing my certification." Tucker laughed nervously, something Al had noticed and was confused over. Ed wasn't paying attention to the older alchemist, he was too busy examining the chimera.

"That person... Ed-ward. That person... Ed-ward. That person... Ed-ward. Big brother Ed." With those three words, numerous things happened. Ayala and Chester snapped out of their complete shock. Ayala moved over to Edward and Chester went next to Al. Tucker moved a few feet away though he hadn't noticed what the chimera said. And Edward felt the bottom of his stomach drop out. As those three words bounded around in his skull, he felt disgust and bile crawl up his throat. His pupils narrowed as he realised his hand was still on the chimera and he stared into those now recognised brown eyes. He wanted to cry and scream and murder and curl up into a ball and throw up all at once. He froze in the kneeling position he'd assumed when he'd approached the creature. He felt shame and disgust at himself as he realised he'd been _excited_ when it had spoken. The creature nudged its head up under his hand and he only just managed to not pull his hand away as it sought his comforting touch. "Big brother Ed." He almost cried. Instead, he forced the tears away and focused on the white-hot fury he felt towards Tucker.

"Mr Tucker?" His voice was tight with anger. Al was surprised at his brother's tone but Tucker didn't seem to have noticed. "When exactly did you get your certification?" Edward wasn't facing the man. He needed answers so that he could be absolutely certain before he acted and he knew if he looked at the mans face, he'd kill him.

"Hmm, let's see. It was two years ago." Tucker answered, voice still slightly giddy with what he'd done.

"And when did your wife leave you?" Al was really confused. He tried asking Chester if he knew why his brother was interrogating Tucker but the leopard wasn't answering him. He was watching the chimera Ed was in front of with utter heartbreak on his face.

"That was two years ago too." Tucker sounded less excited and more wary of the questions. Edward gave the chimera a final apologetic look as he stood, still not facing Tucker.

"I have just one more question for you. Nina and Alexander," he swung around to face the man now. The chimera perked slightly at the mention of those names and Al almost stepped back at the sheer hate and anger radiating from Edward. "where are they?!" Tucker looked like a man who couldn't believe he'd been caught. Al put two and two together and gasped in horror as he realised what Ed had figured out and accused Tucker of.

"Damned brat. Figured it out so quickly." Tucker had a crazed expression as he faced Ed full on. Edward didn't let him say anything before Tucker found himself shoved against the wall of his own laboratory, the anger blondes fists bunched in his collar, holding him against the wall. The ferocity of Ed's attack had knocked Ivana to the floor and scurried to hide until it was safe.

"Oh yeah, I figured it out! You did it again, you sick bastard! Two years ago, it was your wife! This time you used your own daughter and her dog to transmute a talking chimera! You can only do so much with just animals after all, can't you? It's much easier when you start with a human, isn't that right, you disgusting fuck?!" Ed's voice shook with all his anger and hate.

"I don't see what you're so upset about. This is, after all, how we make progress. Human experimentation is necessary. I would think a scientist would understand." He smiled at Ed like he was some little kid who wasn't grasping a simple concept. Ed pulled him from the wall before slamming him back up against it.

"SHUT UP!" He roared. "Do you really think you could get away with messing with someone's life like this? With using your own fucking daughter?" Tucker laughed.

"Someone's life, you say? You would know all about that, wouldn't you? Look at you, the Fullmetal Alchemist." He laughed as his eyes raked up and down Ed's body. "Look at your arm, your leg, your brother! Those things are the result of messing around with someone's life, aren't they?" Ed's expression told the insane man he hit the nail on the head and he laughed as the blonde's features twisted into an expression of guilt and anger.

"SHUT UP!" He slammed his automail fist into the side of Tucker's jaw as he laughed.

"We're the same! We're the same! You're just like me!" He cackled, blood dripping from his busted nose. Ed threw another punch, splitting his lip.

"No, we're not!" He slammed his fist into Tucker's face again as the man continued his laughing.

"But we are! We both saw the opportunity right in front of us and we took it! We had to, even though we knew it was against the rules!" Tucker's words were slightly mispronounced thanks to the facial injuries Ed had bestowed upon him.

"No we're not! Alchemists don't do that!" He emphasised his words with his fists, blood flying off his hands as it flowed down Tucker's face. Ed didn't stop. All he could see was Nina and Alexander as they were just last night. Ayala ended up springing into action as she realised what was happening to Ed.

 _"Stop, Ed! You'll kill him!"_ She grabbed him by his flesh arm and pulled him off the other man. Even though Ayala would love to tear his throat out where he sat slumped against the wall, she wouldn't let Ed kill him. Her teeth never broke his skin and he stood there, stunned as he realised he very nearly bashed a man to death with his own fists in front of his brother and Animal. The chimera approached him and stood between him and Tucker.

"Ed-ward, no. Don't hurt daddy." It spoke, it's voice tore at Ed's heart. Even though it had to be in so much pain and was so confused, it still wanted to protect it's creator. It's father. Ed felt himself fall to his knees and hot tears streamed down his face as Al gently spoke to the creature.

"I'm sorry. Even with all our power and knowledge, we can't change you back. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!" Al sobbed even though he couldn't cry like his brother. Ayala had tucked herself under Ed's chin and felt her fur grow damp as his tears dripped onto it. Chester comforted his human as best he could but it wasn't as effective as it would have been if AL could've felt it.

"Can we play now? Can we play?" The chimera's voice hitched and paused between words as it spoke. It was heart-wrenching. Tucker was sitting against the wall, blood pouring from his various injuries and looking at his State Alchemist watch like it was the most precious thing in the world.

"I made it just in time." Ed looked up at the man as he spoke. "I get to remain a State Alchemist." He spoke with such awe, like he couldn't believe his good fortune and Ed's stomach twisted violently. Standing up suddenly, he stomped over to Tucker and ripped the watch out of his hands.

"Like fuck you're staying a State Alchemist." He spat in disgust as he used his automail hand to crush the watch into pieces. He dropped it on the ground and watched in horrified amazement as the former State Alchemist simply picked the remains up and cradled them.

"Can we play now?" Ed felt fresh tears roll down his face as listened to the chimera ask something so innocent even after everything that had happened to it. He wanted to scream at the unfairness of it all. Why the fuck didn't he listen to Ayala yesterday?! This had to be what Ayala had sensed was going to happen and he could have stopped it if he'd just listened!

"Alphonse?" His brother turned his attention to him and so did the chimera. Ed couldn't look at it. "Please find the phone and call Lieutenant Hawkeye. Have her organise a team to come out here to arrest Tucker and deal with his research. I'll stay with them." Al hesitated but complied with Ed's request. He knew why his brother didn't want to do it himself. Ed stood in between the chimera and Tucker. Tucker didn't pay any attention to him and Ed couldn't look at the chimera. Ayala was flush against his flesh leg, pressing herself as close to him as she could. For the first time in her existence, she wished with all her soul she had been wrong about what she sensed.

Al returned after a few minutes, Chester following him closely. Neither Animal wanted to be apart from their human. Not after this. Not after what they'd just seen. He watched as Ed simply stood where he'd left him. The chimera was watching Ed closely and Tucker was staring at what remained of his watch.

"Lieutenant Hawkeye and Colonel Mustang are coming out with a team. They'll be here in a few minutes." He said softly. Ed faced him.

"What did you tell them?" He asked. He needed to know what he had to say to them.

"I only told them to get over here with a team to go through his research and to arrest him. I couldn't," he paused for a moment, trying to steady his voice. "I couldn't say what he'd done. I'm sorry, brother." Ed shook his head.

"S'not your fault. Don't apologise. I'll tell them." Ed muttered, wiping his face so there weren't any tears left. His eyes were still red and slightly swollen but neither boy could bring themselves to care. No one moved in that room. They didn't know how long they stood there in complete silence until they heard the first car pull up, followed quickly by more and the front door bursting open. Hurried footsteps approached them and Ayala found herself standing in front of Ed as though she could guard him from what he had to say.

Mustang and Hawkeye were the first ones to find them. Utilising years of training, they took in the room quickly. Tucker was still slouched against the wall, the broken remains of his watch in his hands, blood sluggishly leaving the various wounds. Edward and Ayala were standing off to the side. Ed was splattered with blood, revealing him to be cause of Tucker's injuries. Al and Chester stood just behind them. The last thing they noticed was a large, white dog-shaped creature with a shaggy red-brown mane and brown eyes looking at them. A chimera, Mustang immediately identified. He was about to ask why they had bothered calling them down so urgently when Nala, who had caught up with them, had let out a strangled noise when she spotted her favourite blonde and saw the chimera. Hawkeye was the one to approach the boys first, though Mustang was on her heels.

"Edward?" She kept her voice calm, recognising the look in the blonde's eyes. "What happened? Why did Alphonse call us?" Ed looked at them, eyes flicking between the two adults and Mustang realised why she was using the tone of voice she was. Ed looked like some of the younger soldiers they'd seen in Ishval, the ones who had just seen something more horrific than what they'd been prepared for.

"Two years ago, Tucker got certified because he created a chimera who understood human speech." Ed told her, having chosen to focus on Hawkeye rather than Mustang. Both adults frowned. "Two years ago, Tucker's wife disappeared. He said she'd gone back to her parents."

"We know this. Why did you drag us down here?" Mustang snapped, demanding answers, ignoring both Nala and Hawkeye as they glared at him. A familiar spark of anger flamed in Ed's eyes as he stared at Mustang before the chimera caught his attention and the spark was gone and despair replaced it. Mustang did not like the lack of fire in Ed's eyes.

"Two years ago, Tucker transmuted his wife and an animal, probably her Animal, and created a chimera who knew human speech. He did the same thing today." Both Hawkeye and Mustang's faces showed horror as they realised what Ed was saying.

"Are you telling us..." Mustang stared at the chimera and then at Tucker before focusing on Ed again. He saw the boy's face crumple slightly before he managed to put his mask back up.

"He transmuted a chimera who could understand human speech using his daughter and her pet dog. He combined Nina and Alexander together so that he could keep his state certification." Disgust and hate had slowly started crawling back into Ed's voice as he spoke. "I had Al call you so that you could deal with this." He glared at Mustang but it wasn't as strong as his usual one. For once, Mustang didn't complain about the extra work. He knew that even if Edward knew how to deal with this sort of situation, he probably wouldn't let him. He'd seen some unbelievably horrible things, been the cause of many of them but Mustang struggled to think of a situation as inhumane as this. Hawkeye ended up solving Mustang's dilemma about what to do with the Elrics.

"Go wait outside, please. I'll be out in a few minutes to take your statements." She requested. Ed and Al didn't argue. They simply obeyed and headed for the front door. Mustang and Hawkeye didn't miss the broken and apologetic look Ed shot the chimera with nor did they miss the way the chimera looked upset they were leaving. Mustang and Hawkeye looked at each other before Mustang's professional mask was put in place as he turned towards Tucker. The man hadn't moved since they'd entered the room. He was just staring at the remains of his watch. He never looked at them or at the creature he created. His Animal had joined him now that she was sure Tucker wasn't going to be attacked again.

"Shou Tucker, former Major and State Alchemist of the Amestris Military, you're under arrest for two counts of human experimentation in your transmutations. You have the right to remain silent as anything you say can and will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you can't afford one, one will be appointed to you. If you are found innocent of the crimes you've been accused of, you will be awarded your military rank back." He droned as he lifted the man off the ground and turned him so he was facing the wall, forcing his hands behind his back and cuffing him. Tucker didn't protest or struggle as Mustang marched him out of the laboratory and into the nearest room that was empty. He caught the attention of two random soldiers and beckoned them over.

"One of you stand guard in the room. Make sure he doesn't do anything. The other stand guard outside the door. No one except me or Lieutenant Hawkeye is allowed in there until further notice. Understood?" Two nods and he left them with it as he went back into the laboratory. Hawkeye was talking to the chimera but straightened as her boss entered the room.

"What do you want done with her?" Hawkeye asked. Mustang knew what he had to do but he really didn't want too. He also knew Hawkeye knew what needed to happen as well. He sighed.

"Take it to the room its creator's in. While it's a chimera, it is made made from his daughter and was made by him so he technically owns it until he's in jail. After that, I imagine it'll go to the laboratory that deals with chimeras." Hawkeye nodded at his orders and lead the chimera to the room her father was in. She returned to the laboratory with a couple more soldiers in tow to help them go through the laboratory. Once they had their orders, Mustang and Hawkeye left them to it and headed back outside.

"If there was ever an example of the Devil's work in this world, this case would definitely be it." Hawkeye said as they paused in the doorway and watched the rain fall steadily. They could see both Elric boys sitting on the front steps getting thoroughly soaked but neither human nor Animal seemed to notice. Ayala was sitting in front of Edward, her forehead resting on his as he dug his fingers into her fur just behind her ears. He was staining her fur with blood but Mustang didn't think she really cared. He could see Edwards lips moving as he spoke to her but he was so quiet and the rain was loud, Mustang couldn't hear what he was saying. Ayala was licking his cheeks, wiping away the tears Mustang couldn't see. The sight broke his heart even as he saw Alphonse place one big hand on Ed's back and one hand on Chester's head.

"The Devil, huh? A State Alchemist must be willing to take another's life when ordered without question. In some ways, Tucker's actions and our own may not be all that far apart when it comes to interfering with other people's lives. We choose our own path, knowing full well what we're doing. That's the way it is. Isn't that right, Fullmetal? Are you going to break down like this every time something bad happens? Because the likelihood of you coming across cases like this in the future and you very well may have to get your hands dirty." Mustang had to tell him. He needed the kid to realise that this sort of thing would keep happening and that he needed to find a way to deal with it other than how he was. Mustang didn't want people seeing the kid like this. He was already a target for kidnappings, or attempted kidnappings since they'd only be successful a couple of times thanks to Ayala, and if they saw him showing any weaknesses like this, it would get even worse.

"We may be called dogs of the military or cursed as devils but Al and I know we're not. I will get our bodies back. We know the truth! We are just human. We're only human. And because of that, because I ignored my Animal, despite all my genius, I destroyed a little girl's life because I was too focused on our goal. So tell me, Mustang. How exactly do I deal with that?" Ed had stood when he started talking and was now staring Mustang down. The black haired alchemist almost took a step back from the magnitude of hate, anger and self-loathing in those gold eyes that were staring him down. They simultaneously begged for an answer and told Mustang to keep his mouth shut. He felt Nala's internal struggle and sympathised with her need to comfort the blonde but knowing it wouldn't be received well. Mustang couldn't answer him. Ed scoffed as Mustang stayed silent. "That's what I thought. Come on, Al. Let's get out of here." Ed left, his brother and the Animals following him, and Mustang let him. He watched them disappear beyond the gates and out of sight.

"Sir, is it wise to let them go off by themselves? They're clearly upset and that serial killer is still on the loose." Hawkeye pointed out, still professional except for the worry gleaming in her eyes.

"It's not our job to babysit them. Fullmetal knows about the threat. We've got a job to do." The corner of Hawkeye's mouth dipped slightly, showing her displeasure but she didn't argue.

"Sir." She said as she snapped a salute and turned around to continue directing the team of soldiers working the case. Mustang watched the gate Ed and Al had disappeared through for a few moments more before he spun on his heel and followed his First Lieutenant back into the Tucker estate. A few hours later and they'd finished going through Tucker's research, confiscating the illegal research they found and documenting everything else. Tucker and the chimera were to be kept in the house under constant guard, with soldiers stationed in and around the house to prevent Tucker escaping before he could be moved to a cell and the chimera could be taken to a laboratory for examination. Once they were finished with what they needed to do, both Hawkeye and Mustang headed back for the office and continue their normal day to day work.

Mustang didn't greet his team as he headed straight for his inner office. Everyone watched him go, followed quickly by Nala, and flinched when his door slammed shut with a bit more force than normal. Hawkeye watched the closed door for a moment before she headed over to her desk, prompting the rest of the team to get back to work. The others knew what had happened. Everyone except Havoc had been in the office when Al had called them. They heard the conversation thanks to Hawkeye having left the inner office door open when she transferred the call to Mustang's phone and he'd put it on speaker so she could hear. When they'd been told to get to Tuckers, they'd done so confused, passing Havoc in the hallway. It didn't take long for Falman to hear what had happened and he'd told the others. They couldn't believe what they heard and they were worried about their two favourite teenagers, especially Havoc. He was the last to see them before this tragedy had unfolded. He couldn't take the silence much longer.

"Where's the chief?" Havoc broke the silence and all heads turned to Hawkeye as one. She paused her work but didn't look up straight away. After a moment though, she sighed and looked up.

"We don't know. I'm hoping he's at the dorms or the library. He was rather... upset when he left." 'Upset' was underselling it. "He and Alphonse just need some time to themselves. Now get back to work. This fiasco has cost us enough time and more work." The threat of her gun wasn't needed this time. Everyone nodded and turned back to their various tasks. Aside from the noises made from their work, the office was quiet. They knew what what had happened would do to the boys, they've all had one major example of how depraved humanity could be, and they knew how strong the two Elrics were. They just hoped they were strong enough to get through this.

The sun had long set on East City. Both Elrics were in their dorm with their Animals. Neither had spoken if they hadn't needed too. They just sat on their beds, each human and Animal taking up one bed. Al had offered to go and get them some food but nobody wanted anything, not even the Animals felt up to eating. When Al had suggested that Ed go for a shower and get the blood from Tucker off of him, he wasn't met with resistance, just an apology and compliance. He knew Ed blamed himself. Ayala had told Chester who had told him that Ayala had warned Ed something was wrong with Tucker and that Ed had ignored her and was now beating himself up because of it. Al had tried to talk to Ed about it but he just cut him off every time. Ed eventually fell asleep and Ayala had curled up on his chest. All Al could do was watch as his brother slept and listen to Chester talk in his head, assuring him that they weren't to blame, that there was nothing they could do to save her. Tonight was one of the few nights where Alphonse really wished he could sleep.

While Edward slept, the soldiers guarding the Tucker house were wishing they could. No one there wanted to be anywhere near the place where alchemy was used so horrifically nor did they want to be near the person who had committed the acts. Tucker hadn't left the room Mustang had put him in and neither had the chimera. All it did was sit in front of its creator and watch him with sad, brown eyes. It had asked for Edward and Alphonse a few times but Tucker never answered it. None of the soldiers outside the house saw or heard the man with the massive scar on his head approach before they found a hand on their face, effectively muffling any sound they managed to make before bits of their brains and skulls decorated the pavement and fence as their bodies thudded to the ground. The same fate met the soldiers guarding the inside. The storm outside had worsened slightly, lightning and thunder flashed throughout the house. The man stood in the open door and looked at his target as he held the head of the chimera in his hands.

"I wonder why nobody understands me, Nina." Tucker bemoaned to what was supposed to be his greatest creation. He couldn't understand the looks of disgust he got, like he was the scum of the earth. The chimera whined in answer.

"You're Shou Tucker, correct?" The sudden and unfamiliar voice made Tucker jump and quickly turn in that direction. He frowned as he saw the dark-skinned man standing in the doorway.

"Who are you? You're not military. How did you get in here? There were military police out front!" Tucker demanded as the man approached him. When he looked passed him, he saw the body of the soldier who was guarding his door.

"Foolish alchemists who turn their backs on the way of God shall be punished!" The man raised his hand and before Tucker or Ivana could do anything, the hand was placed over his face. The last thing Tucker saw was the blue flash of alchemic energy blind him before the slightest flash of unbearable pain ripped through him and Ivana. The scarred man released his hold on what was left of Tuckers face and dropped him to the ground unceremoniously. The carcass of his Animal rolled a few inches away from his body.

"Daddy's hurting. Daddy hurts. No, Daddy." The deep, slow voice of the chimera reminded the man that it was there. He knelt in front of it and placed a hand on its head before looking it in the eyes. It showed no fear, just pain and sadness.

"You poor creature. Once you have been given this form, there is no way to separate you." The man felt pity for the chimera in front of him. "At least your passing will be in peace." The chimera never blinked as he spoke and he felt hatred towards those who wielded alchemy like this more than he ever had. A flash of blue later, he lowered the chimera's limp body to the ground gently before leaving. As he left, he prayed to his god so that the souls he'd just given back to Him could be accepted and offered peace. Nobody saw him leave the place. By the time someone noticed the first body, the scarred man had once again disappeared.

 **A/N - And another chapter up! Only ten days after the last one. I wonder if this is a record? Anyway, thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story or sent me a pm letting me know what they thought so far. Please keep doing that so I know if I'm still doing good. I'm also going to make it clear that it was an honestly difficult decision to kill Nina off but I needed to prove how seriously the characters in this AU needed to take their Animals. The reason Ayala and Chester had a bad feeling when they first met Tucker was because of what he'd done to his wife but they didn't know what exactly he'd done, just that it was horrible and he didn't regret it. The reason Ayala and Chester got an even worse feeling the night before he transmuted Nina was because he had decided that's what he was going to do and felt no ill-will about it. I also killed Nina off so that Ed learnt to always listen to Ayala when she has that sort of feeling. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and please let me know what you thought! Thanks again!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16-**

Edward couldn't remember being this happy before as he spotted the familiar lavender dress and chestnut brown hair. His mum had her back to him as he raced towards her as fast as his little legs could take him. He had this feeling in his gut that something was off but he was too excited seeing his mum right there in front of him. He had no idea where Ayala, Alphonse or Chester was but that was okay because there was his mum, smiling and happy and that was all that mattered in that moment. He held his chubby hands out to show her what he was holding.

"Mum, mum, look what I've got!" He called, excited and proud. She turned from the washing she was hanging out and smiled the smile she always saved just for him.

"What do you have there, Ed?" She asked, gentle amusement in her voice when she saw how proud her son was standing.

"It's a present! I transmuted it!" He told her, his chest puffing out just a little more at the way she looked at him, like she believed he could do the impossible. She knelt in front of him, tucking her chestnut brown hair behind her ear as she inspected the proffered gift. Ed almost questioned the fact he couldn't see Cleo but the way his mum's eyes lit up as she looked at the transmuted gift, like they so rarely did after his bastard of a father left, distracted him again. He'd never felt so relaxed and safe.

"You did? You're your father's son alright!" Ed almost bristled at the mention of him but Trisha's loving praise continued. "Thank you very much! That's an amazing thing you did. Creating something as neat as this takes talent." The truthfulness and love in her voice made him swell with pride and happiness. Suddenly the skies darkened and a strong wind almost knocked little Edward off his feet. He looked around, confused at the weather and his mum straightened, face turning completely expressionless. Ed didn't understand what was happening. When he saw his mother, his bad feeling grew into terrified one as he took a couple quick steps back from the horror unfolding in front of him.

"But if you could do that, why couldn't you make mummy better?" The Trisha Ed knew, his beautiful and kind mum, melted and transformed into that _thing_ they'd created. Ed felt his right arm and left leg grow heavy and he glanced at them to see his automail shining back at him. That thing, that bastardised version of his mother stepped towards him and Ed wanted to throw up as it's arm fell off, just like before. Bile crawled up his throat and hot tears pricked his eyes as he watched clumps of almost-black blood spatter onto the ground from the torn flesh. Just before the nightmare reached for him with its one remaining arm, Ed found himself older and in front of Nina and Alexander.

"Big brother!" She called like she always did when they turned up at her place, child-like excitement and like she was the luckiest girl in the world because they came back. He felt himself calming instantly at the sight of her big blue eyes and Alexander's tongue lolling out of his mouth in his doggy version of a grin. He smiled softly back at her, his nightmare almost forgotten when a new one started unfolding in front of him. Nina and Alexander merged into the chimera Tucker created. "Let's play!" The chimera's slow, deep voice sent chills running down Ed's spine as it moved towards him.

Golden eyes flew open as Ed woke with a startled gasp. He sat himself up and was greeted with the dull pre-dawn light flooding the small dorm room. Ayala was sitting up with him, nosing his neck and cheek, making sure he was okay. He absentmindedly stoked her head as he shut his eyes tight before opening them again, trying to rid himself of the nightmare he just had.

"Brother? Are you alright?" Al's soft, tinny voice called from across the room, forcing Ed to pay attention to him rather than what he'd just dreamed. "You were dreaming." Al didn't sound like he believed it was a happy dream. Ed sighed and rested his head on his flesh knee, Ayala tucked her head under his arm.

"I'm okay, Al. It was just a dream." Ed wished he sounded as dismissive as he wanted. Al, bless him, realised pushing him wasn't for the best right now and let him be. After a few minutes where no one, not even the Animals, spoke, Ed headed for the shower in a bid to make himself wake up a bit more. When he emerged, he was slightly more awake which unfortunately meant his brain caught up with the previous days events. Nina and Alexander. He felt his heart tighten as he thought about everything that had led to what had happened and how he could've stopped that bastard from doing what he'd done and he kept coming back to one factor; he could've listened to Ayala. His Animal had been extremely adamant that Tucker was dangerous, that he was evil and Ed had refused to listen to her. Hell, he didn't even tell Al what she'd said! Maybe if he had, Al could've talked him into heeding her warning and gone to investigate or something. Nina and Alexander might still be here if he had. If only...

 _"Stop."_ Ayala's soft but stern voice broke through his musings. He was still in the bathroom but she was obviously reading his feelings and thoughts. _"Stop torturing yourself. I couldn't have told you for sure what would've happened and even if you had said something, who's to say he wouldn't have still done what he did or worse? It's not your fault so please,_ please, _stop beating yourself up."_ She begged him. Ed's eyes grew hot and prickly as he felt the tears he'd yet to shed away from the Tucker estate threaten to fall. He couldn't let them. He needed to be strong right now and it wasn't fair. Al couldn't cry so what gave him the right too?

"I'm sorry, Aya. I'm so sorry." He whispered to his wolf. She knew he wouldn't stop falsely blaming himself and she knew who the second apology was really aimed at but she accepted it. All she, Chester and her human's brother could do was make sure he didn't dwell on this too much and hope he realised what they knew. None of them could have saved Nina or Alexander without Tucker having been far more obvious about what he'd done to his wife or what he intended with Nina. Ed had evidently pulled himself together because he soon exited the bathroom and grabbed his trademark red jacket.

"Where are we going, brother?" Al asked, already hopping off his bed so he could go with him. Chester and Ayala had joined the blonde where he was standing.

"To see Hawkeye or Mustang. I need to know what's going to happen with Tucker and Nina." No one mentioned the slight hitch in his voice when he said her name and he was grateful for it. Al simply nodded and led the way out of the dorm room. He never even fussed about Ed skipping breakfast. He didn't think he'd be in the mood to eat after what they'd just witnessed.

The walk to the office was dreary. It was actually a little later than Ed had thought when he'd woken. The pre-dawn light he thought was shining through his window has actually the early morning sunlight trying to shine through the dark, heavy clouds in the sky. It wasn't raining just yet but from the feel of his automail, Ed knew it wasn't far off. No one spoke much. The mood was too somber. They made it through the base's gates without much more than a greeting from the soldiers on duty. By now, everyone had heard about what Tucker had done and who had found him and his experiments. A few minutes later and they almost literally ran into Hawkeye and Soren. Hawkeye was forced to take a quick step back to avoid the two teens and Soren flapped his wings to keep his balance at the unexpected change in direction.

"What's the matter, you two? You're up awfully early." She asked a little confused. She'd thought that after yesterday, they wouldn't see the Elrics until the Colonel summoned them for a mission.

"We need to know. What's going to happen to Tucker and Nina?" Ed asked and Hawkeye almost wished they'd run into someone else.

 _"I'm so sorry, Ed."_ Ed's eyes snapped to Soren but Hawkeye spoke before he could ask why the owl was sorry.

"Mr Tucker was scheduled to be stripped of his certification and stand trial for what he did to Nina. However, they, along with most of the soldiers guarding the estate, were found dead this morning." She looked apologetic but Ed barely registered her expression. His heart stopped. Dead? They couldn't be dead. _Nina_ couldn't be dead.

"Dead?!" Al echoed Ed's thought.

"You'll find out anyways so I may as well be the one to tell you. They've been murdered." Hawkeye didn't sugar coat it. She didn't see the need. Soren ruffled his feathers a little but didn't question the almost cold way she told them.

"They... How? By who?" Hawkeye shook her head in response to Ed's questions.

"We don't know. I'm heading over to the scene now." She told them as she moved to walk past the two of them. Al and Ed were quick to follow.

"We're coming with you." Al told her as she shot them a questioning look. That made her stop dead in her tracks and spin to face them. Soren glared at her for the second upset in directions.

"No." She told them simply. There was no way she was going to let those two boys see what she'd have too. She absolutely refused to let them see Nina's remains. Not after the way she saw her being turned into a chimera had affected them yesterday.

"Why not?" Ed demanded to know. He felt himself growing slightly angry because he assumed she didn't want them there because she thought they would be in the way or that they were children who needed protecting and he hated it.

"You don't need to see this." She told them simply and Ed felt his misplaced anger disappear. There was something in her eyes and voice that told him that he should be thanking her for stopping them. That she wasn't stopping them because she thought they couldn't handle it but because she didn't want them to see Nina like that. Ed nodded and he thought he saw her shoulders relax a little when she realised he wasn't going to fight her on this. "I'll see you two later." This time when she walked away, they didn't follow her.

Mustang was already waiting for his First Lieutenant on the steps of the Tucker estate, keeping himself away from the rain. Nala was sitting next to him. She'd been in a sullen mood since yesterday. Ed hadn't spoken to her and she was itching to find out how he was. She perked up though when she spotted a familiar face heading up the stairs. Mustang noticed as well. Hughes and Armstrong were heading for the room Tucker and Nina had been murdered in. Mustang decided to join them and wasn't overly surprised when Hughes didn't do anything more than nod his head in greeting. Hughes was a completely different person when he was working. Armstrong offered a salute but was just as serious as Hughes. Neither man had their Animal with them. They came to a stop in front of the room that contained the corpses of the house's previous residents. Hughes knelt in front of the larger blanket-covered form and looked under the blanket before sighing.

"He's always one step ahead of us. I'd hoped me figuring out he was here before it was confirmed would help." He said as he dropped the blanket back in place. Armstrong came to stand next to him.

"We'd better catch up with him quickly. His usual pattern says that he won't move on until all State Alchemists in the area are killed." Armstrong reminded him. Hughes sighed. As big as East City was, there weren't that many State Alchemists in the area. They knew it wouldn't be long before someone else was targeted and chances were that the next target would be someone Hughes knew extremely well.

"I'm assuming this is the same serial killer you warned me about. I want every single detail. Now." Mustang demanded from his place in the doorway. Hughes and Armstrong looked at each other. They weren't technically allowed to share details of an ongoing investigation with people who weren't a part of it but they both decided to ignore that particular rule.

"Okay. We're taking the bodies to the morgue. Follow us and we'll fill you in while waiting for the autopsy results." Mustang nodded his compliance. The coroner and his assistants filed into the room shortly after and loaded the bodies up for transport. Mustang, Hughes and Armstrong followed them out, Hawkeye joining them as they watched the bodies being placed in the coroner van. They took two vehicles and followed the van and sat outside the autopsy room to await the coroner's report.

"So fill me in." Mustang demanded after a few minutes of silence. Hawkeye shifted slightly. Mustang had told his team about the threat.

"We call him 'Scar' because of the large x-shaped scar on his face. He's elusive, intelligent and extremely well trained in whatever fighting style he uses. As you know, he took down Major General Basque Grand a few days ago." Mustang nodded. He knew most of this information already.

"Our target is both elusive and unidentified. We don't have a lot of information on him. Aside from the way he kills, his scar and his target, we don't know anything else for certain." Armstrong inputted. Mustang frowned. Considering how many bodies this guy left in his wake, that wasn't exactly case-breaking information.

"Look," Mustang found himself looking at his best friend. "the fact that we've got next to nothing on this guy proves how dangerous he is. I think you should increase your escort and lay low for a while. No one would blame you. Please, I'm asking as your friend." Mustang nodded. Maybe he should do as Hughes suggested.

"You and Tucker are the only State Alchemists of note in the are aside from myself, right?" Armstrong asked and both Hughes and Mustang felt their stomachs drop as they looked at each other and came to the same realisation.

"Edward." Mustang said before turning to his Lieutenant. "Get some soldiers together, find the Elric brothers."

Ed, Al and their Animals had been wandering around near the base for a while. It had started raining only a few minutes after Hawkeye had left and Ed thought it was appropriate for the mood. They soon found themselves sitting on the edge of a fountain, simply watching the rain fall. Ayala and Chester were laying at their feet, both Animals too big to lay on the edge comfortably. Ed didn't know what he was feeling anymore. It was almost like his brain had just shut down its emotional section. He just felt numb.

"I've been thinking about this for a long time." Al looked over as his brother started speaking. "We put all our trust in alchemy, but in the end, what is it? 'Alchemy is the science of understanding the flow of matter and its laws...the process of comprehension, deconstruction, and reconstruction. The world flows too. It must also follow laws. Everything circulates and death is a part of that circulation. You must accept the flow.' Teacher sure drummed that into our heads, didn't she?" Both humans and Ayala flinched as they remembered how literal that drumming sometimes got. "And I thought I understood it but I must be stupider than I thought. You'd think I would've learnt after mum but here I am, desperately thinking about doing the impossible again. I'm so fucking stupid." Ed sighed as he tilted his head so the rain hit his face. "I'd hoped this rain would help wash away some of this gloom but it just makes everything more depressing." Ayala pressed herself into her humans side as best she could. Al mimicked his brother's position.

"Without a body, I can't even feel the rain hitting my face. That's something I miss." Al turned to face his brother though Ed didn't look away from the sky. "I want to get my body back, brother. I just want to be human again soon. Even if that means going against the flow of the world and attempting the impossible." Ed turned to face his brother but Ayala and Chester grabbed his attention. They'd leapt to their feet, both standing in front of Ed and Al, watching a man who had somehow approached them without either boy or Animal noticing him beforehand. Ed stared blankly at the man. He took in the beige jacket and sunglasses covering a scar before the man spoke.

"You, boy, you're the Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric, correct?" The man's voice didn't sound curious, excited, awed, angry, ready-to-kill or hateful, things Ed was used to hearing in people's voices when they spoke to him. Ed's eyes followed the man's right hand as he pulled it back and suddenly he was slammed into the ground as the two Animals pulled him off the fountains edge, the man's hand missed him and slammed into the place Ed was just sitting. As Al leaned down to help his brother up while the Animals took defensive positions, the place the scarred man touched exploded. Ed's eyes widened as he realised it didn't explode, the material was deconstructed. Ed clapped and threw up a wall between them and the man.

"What the hell is going on here?" Ed hadn't realised he'd said that out loud before he was pulled to his feet by his brother and the wall he'd put up had a hole blown through it, revealing the man, only he looked a tad angry now.

 _"This is bad. This is seriously bad. Ed, we need to get out of here! He wants to kill you!"_ Ayala's voice shook as she spoke.

"Al, Chester, we need to run! NOW!" Ed shouted as he shoved his brother to the side so they could run.

"No you don't." The man growled as he chased after them. They were halfway down the staircase when it exploded from under their feet. All four tumbled and slammed into the stairs directly below them. Al was the first to clamber to his feet, having not actually been hurt in the fall. He got his brother to his feet as the two Animals picked themselves up. A loud thump behind them. The scarred man had leapt down behind them. They continued their race down the stairs but a flash of of alchemic energy ran past them and blew the wall out next to them. Once the dust cleared, it showed Al and Ed dangling by one hand from the railings while they each held an Animal in the other. Ed had grabbed Chester while Al had Ayala. Ed could hear footsteps approaching carefully over the debris and looked around for a way out. Alchemy was out since he couldn't clap or draw. Looking down, he got an idea.

"Don't argue Al, just listen. Drop to the ground. You'll be fine and so will Ayala so long as you don't let her go. Once you're down there, I'll drop Chester for you to catch then myself. Just do it." He used his big brother voice and Al did as he was told. Ed heard him hit the ground and waited.

 _"Now."_ Chester said and Ed let him go. The footsteps had almost reached him when Ayala and Chester both shouted for him to let go and he did. A heartbeat later and he felt himself being caught by his brother, jostling the bruises and cuts he'd gained in the previous fall. He looked up once Al had placed him on his own feet and saw the scarred man ready himself to follow them over.

"For fucks sake, we gotta move." Ed said as the man launched himself over the railing and they took off, racing down the near empty street. The scarred man continued to chase after them. None of the group tried to fight back since they were too busy trying to put as much distance between themselves and the man as possible. Ed realised they were heading in the general direction of the town centre and changed direction so they could take a different way to the base. He'd figured out that this man had to be the serial killer Hughes had warned him about and though he never mentioned if he'd killed civilians, Ed wasn't risking them getting hurt. They'd just ducked through an alleyway when they were forced to a stop when alchemic energy raced its way past them and caused the wall to explode, effectively cutting off their escape. The man was standing in the alleyway they'd just entered.

"Who are you anyway?! Why are you after us?!" Ed yelled, using the small chance to catch his breath and think. The man approached them at a leisurely pace, seemingly confident they couldn't get past him.

"As long as there are 'creators' like you in this world, there must be destroyers." He said in the same tone of voice he'd used when confirming Ed's identity. Ed clapped his hands and transmuted a pipe into a knife, holding it so the blade ran parallel with his forearm.

"When we rush him, you two stay ahead of us." He told Chester and Al telepathically before directing his next words at the man. "Then it looks like we're gonna have to fight." Ed side-glanced his brother, who nodded, already knowing his brother's intentions. Chester and Ayala got themselves ready as well. "Now." He whispered and they rushed forward, each team on one side of the man.

"Gutsy one, aren't you?" The Animals had made it past him and the boys prepared to land their hits so they could get past him as well. "But, too slow." He said as he connected his arm to Al's side and the area he hit deconstructed, destroying the entire side and disabling his arm and leg.

"Al!" Ed heard Chester join his shout as they both looked at Al's ruined armour. If he couldn't use his legs or arms, he was defenseless. "You bastard!" Ed moved in with his weapon while the scarred man stared at Al's armour shocked at finding it empty. The man wasn't as stunned as he seemed because he simply grabbed Ed's arm and activated his alchemy.

"Too slow." He growled as the blue energy flashed.

 _"Ed!"_ Ayala and Chester shouted as the resulting explosion threw Ed back a few feet into the street, losing his knife in the process.

"Fucking hell." He grumbled as he yanked his jackets off, the tattered right sleeves being more of a hindrance than not. Al pulled himself so he was sitting against the wall, powerless to help as he watched the scarred man approach his brother. Ayala and Chester both placed themselves in front of Ed but the scarred man barely gave them a glance.

"An automail arm." He mused out loud. "That explains why my attacks didn't have the effect I intended." Ayala snarled at him as Ed clapped and transmuted his arm into his trademark weapon.

"No, Ed, just go! He's too dangerous!" Al pleaded.

"I'm not leaving you here, you idiot!" Ed shouted back, eyes not leaving the threat in front of him. Ayala and Chester didn't budge or try and persuade him to go. They both knew he wouldn't go anyway.

"So you press your hands together to make a ring then perform the transmutation. I see." He continued analysing Ed's method. With a yell, Ed raced past the Animals and aimed a strike at the man's side but he caught the attack in one hand and placed his right hand against his automail shoulder. "Then I will start by destroying this abhorrent right arm of yours." Ed's eyes widened as he realised what was about to happen and tried to pull himself away. He was nearly blinded by the flash of energy and he heard Al's frantic shout as he fell sideways, unbalanced by the loss of his arm and the explosion. He slid a little, thanks to the rain on the street and the force of the explosion. "Now you won't be able to use your heretic's alchemy." He pointed out as he moved towards Ed's prone figure.

Ayala and Chester immediately moved into action, trying to gain Ed some time to get up and figure something out. Ayala launched herself at his throat and he knocked her aside while Chester went for his legs, forcing him to step back out of his attack range. The man struggled against the two Animals as they made sure he didn't have time to use his arm while Ed picked himself up and adjusted to the loss of his right arm. The Animals were doing a good job keeping him back, even landing a few blows themselves. He had some blood streaming from cuts caused by Chester's claws and Ayala's teeth. Ed looked around and found a pipe laying nearby. He grabbed it just as Chester was kicked in the side, throwing the leopard a few metres away from the fight. As the leopard struggled to his feet, Ed felt the dull pain flare in his ribs and knew Chester had broken at least one.

"Go back to Al, Chester. Guard him and keep him company. Ayala and I will be fine." Ed ordered as he joined his golden wolf against the serial killer. Chester hesitated but obeyed. He knew he couldn't risk his ribs getting hit again. He sat next to Al but kept an eye on the fight, just in case.

Ayala and Ed thanked Teacher for all the lessons she forced them through for fighting together and making Ed fight so he was as proficient with his left hand as he was with his right. The man never got the chance to activate his alchemy, thanks to their skilled fighting. Ayala and Ed fought as a tag team, when one was thrown from the man, the other moved in to keep him busy while the other gathered themselves and prepared a new attack. The scarred man didn't make it easy and they knew their luck wouldn't last. They were proven right when Ed was kicked in his sternum and thrown nearly ten metres away while Ayala was thrown into a nearby wall. Ed was trying to get himself breathing again and looked on in horror as the man used his alchemy to collapse part of the wall on top of her. Ed's left side exploded in sympathy pain but he could feel she was still alive.

Chester watched the events unfold and rushed to Ayala's aid when he was forced to skid to a stop when the wall collapsed on her. From Ed's reaction, he knew she was still alive but that was a small mercy as he watched the man approach Ed, who was struggling to breath and wouldn't be able to defend himself in time. Chester also knew that with his ribs, he'd be hard pressed getting to Ed in time. That didn't mean he wouldn't try as he ran as fast as he could to intervene but, as the man bent over his surrogate human, he knew it was in vain.

"I will give you a moment to pray to god." The man said as he stopped just short of Ed, who was just getting his lungs to cooperate. Ed knew how royally fucked he was. He was barely able to breathe, his body ached all over and he couldn't think of a clever way to get out of his situation without alchemy. Ayala was incapacitated and Chester had no way of reaching him in time. He was going to die right there on the street and he knew that meant Ayala and Chester would be killed with him. He would be leaving Al completely alone in this world and he couldn't do a damned thing about it. He shut his eyes and offered a silent apology to the two Animals attached to him when he heard a feral snarl approaching from behind him. He opened his eyes in time to see a beige blur leap over him and slam into the scarred man. Sitting up, he was stunned and happy to see Nala crouched defensively in front of him.

"Nala?" If she was here that meant - yup, there was her human. Ed never thought he'd be glad to see Mustang ever. The Colonel was backed up by his entire team plus a handful of random soldiers Ed wasn't sure he'd met. Looking back, he saw Nala was doing her best to keep Scar away from Ed as he carefully climbed to his feet. He fell once but was back up a moment later. "Can you keep him busy for a moment?" He asked the lioness as he wiped blood out of his left eye so he could see the situation better.

 _"I can try but I don't know how long I can keep him back."_ She answered honestly, relieved her second favourite human was in good enough shape to get up and figure something out. Ed held his left arm parallel to the ground.

"Soren, Kara, can I borrow you for a while?" He asked the two birds telepathically and, to the surprise of their humans and the other soldiers, both birds launched themselves from their perches and landed on Ed's arm. "Do you think you can help Nala distract him while I help Ayala?" The two birds nodded and took off, taking turns to dive bomb the white-haired man while Nala kept up her attacks, Soren using his powerful talons and Kara using her sharp beak. Ed used his connection with Ayala to assess her injuries and found they weren't as bad as he feared. The wolf was still conscious at least. He sighed in relief as he dropped to his knees. "Ayala? You okay?" He called out loud.

 _"As good as can be expected when you have a wall on top of you."_ Ed smiled when he got the sarcastic response. Blood obscured his left eye again but he left it. Obviously, it was gonna keep happening and he needed to adapt so it didn't affect his fighting.

"Good. If I get you out, can you move?" He asked, keeping an eye on the fight going on near him. So far, none of the Animals had been injured.

 _"Yes. I'm not that hurt."_ Ed could tell she was telling the truth. Aside from injured ribs (honestly, did bad guys go out of their way to injure their ribs?!), she was bruised and cut but that was the extent of her injuries.

"Good. Get ready." Ed said before closing his eyes. Focusing on their bond and pouring all his energy into what he wanted to do, he slammed his one remaining hand onto the ground and felt the alchemic energy exit through Ayala, causing the rocks on top of her to shift and transform into a small structure for her to get out of. She shook her fur, splattering blood and dust everywhere and joined Ed.

"Holy shit." Havoc stole the words right out of Mustang's mouth. "I didn't think alchemy could be used like that." Mustang shook his head as he watched the gold and red wolf trot over to her human.

"I've never heard of anyone doing that with their Animal. I didn't even know it was possible." Mustang admitted. They'd had a plan when they arrived but when Nala had seen Ed about to be killed, she lost her cool and rushed Scar, forcing Mustang to rethink his plan. The fact that Ed was in better shape than what they'd thought when they turned up also threw a wrench in the plan.

Ed immediately looked her over and noted a decent cut running along her flank. "Stay still. I need to heal that." Placing a hand over the cut, he dug for the healing energy and activated it. Ayala squirmed in discomfort but it was soon over. "Okay, you're good." She thanked him with a lick on the cheek and headed into the fray to help Nala and the two birds.

The onlookers watched as Ed grabbed the pipe he'd been forced to drop and joined the four Animals against Scar. Ayala and Ed worked seamlessly as a team and they were amazed to see Soren, Kara and Nala moving in coordinated attacks without Ed opening his mouth to give instructions. After a near miss, Soren and Kara both circled Ed as they appeared to talk to Ed, who shook his head and they headed back for their humans a few moments later, leaving Ed, the wolf and the lioness to fight Scar by themselves. Ordinarily, Ed wouldn't be overly worried but this was no ordinary opponent, Ayala and him were injured and he was missing his arm and main weapon. Their opponent was in a lot better shape, he was slowly tiring and he had a few scrapes but he was still fighting like he had at the start.

Mustang was watching the fight carefully. Until the Animals and Ed were clear from Scar, they couldn't make a move without risking them. It was a little scary watching Edward fight. Even injured and down an arm, he was still a force to be reckoned with. They all winced or made hisses of sympathy when Ed was thrown into a wall and crumpled onto his side. Scar tried to take his chance but the two Animals unleashed a level of feral protectiveness that made Mustang and the others glad they weren't on the receiving end. Ed got back to his feet but it was clear to everyone he was running on pure stubbornness now. Ed suddenly watched the wall off to his right and a relived expression crossed his face before he focused back on the fight in time to block a swing and throw one of his own before the Animals interceded.

"Ayala, Nala, get back now!" Ed shouted urgently. Both Animals hastened to obey him as he led them back towards Al. "We're clear!" He shouted to seemingly no one as some distance opened between them and Scar. The wall in between the two of them exploded, knocking the Animals and Ed down and causing Scar to skid to a stop. A massive, black gorilla and equally massive, bald alchemist stood with their backs to Nala, Ed and Ayala. Both newest arrivals were flexing their muscles as Ed climbed back to his feet.

"I will destroy all who interfere with my mission." Scar told the newcomers. Neither were overly phased with the threat. Instead, they both attacked the man at the same time. Scar was still able to dodge them both.

"You have to be quick to avoid my fist. Not bad. Not bad at all. You said you were going to destroy us all. In that case, why don't you start by defeating me?! We'll see how you fare against the Strong Arm Alchemist, Alex Louis Armstrong, and my Animal, Gary!" Major Armstrong challenged while Gary roared his own challenge from beside him. Ed rolled his eyes at the theatrics but was grateful the fight was moving back away from him. At least he didn't have to move again. Nala and Ayala seemed to share those sentiments as they both sat on either side of him, still alert just in case.

"Another State Alchemist. God is putting them in my path for me." Scar said, ducking a punch thrown by Gary and side-stepping one aimed by Armstrong.

"Not backing down? In that case, your courage will earn you a demonstration. I'll show you the art of alchemy that has been passed down the Armstrong family for generations!" He exclaimed, a little too impressed with Scar's tenacity for Ed's taste. They continued pushing Scar back and Ed got the feeling it was on purpose. Havoc and Falman used the fight as a distraction to get over to Ed and make sure he was okay. Havoc knelt next to him while Falman stood guard over them.

"You okay?" He asked as he visually assessed the kid over. Aside from the missing automail and probably a concussion, the kid wasn't in too bad shape. He was bleeding from several moderate cuts and would probably be covered in bruises come morning but he wasn't fatally wounded.

"Yeah, I'm fine. That's the man who killed Nina, isn't it?" Ed asked, eyes still watching the fight. Havoc and Falman exchanged a glance.

"Yeah, that's him." The wall Ed was next to exploded as Armstrong's fist missed Scar and got the wall instead. Havoc pulled Ed into his chest and covered him until the debris and dust cleared. "Hey, Major! Watch what you're doing! We don't don't want to destroy the city, do we?" He reprimanded the alchemist as he let Ed go.

"What do you mean? Destruction and creation are the sides of the same coin. You must destroy to create. That is the law of the universe!" Gary gave a roar in agreement as Armstrong flexed his muscles and tore his shirt off. Ed's face paled as he took in the scene before him. Was it even possible for such a large man and gorilla to actually sparkle? Maybe he hit his head harder than he thought.

"Did he have to strip?" Hawkeye asked, sounding slightly ill.

"Are you surprise? He's clearly insane." Havoc deadpanned. Ed nodded his agreeance.

"Non-alchemists may fail to see the inherent truth of that statement but we understand, don't we, Scar?" Armstrong said conversationally, like he wasn't currently attacking him.

"So this killer's an alchemist too?" Mustang sounded surprised. That reminded Ed of what he'd discovered while fighting Scar.

"Right! The stages with the transmutation process are construction, deconstruction and reconstruction! This guy just stops at deconstruction!" He exclaimed suddenly.

"Wait, if he's an alchemist as well, doesn't that mean he's strayed from whatever his 'ways of god" are too?' Havoc asked, confused. It was kind of hypocritical.

"And what would his reason be for only targeting alchemists with a state certification?" Mustang wondered out loud. Ed shrugged, even though the black haired man wasn't looking at him. Armstrong and Gary were still fighting, pushing Scar back and that's when Edward realised what they were trying to do.

"I have you cornered now, Scar!" Armstrong exclaimed, victorious. Scar took a swing at him but Gary pulled him out of the way and Hawkeye fired three shots from her rifle, barely pausing to aim between each shot. Scar dodged the first two successfully but from the grunt he made, Ed knew he'd been hit by the third. Honestly, the fact that he'd gone up against him, Al, Ayala, Chester, Nala, Soren, Kara, Armstrong and Gary plus Hawkeye and her rifle and was still standing was testament to how incredible a fighter the man was.

"Did you get him?" Mustang asked his Lieutenant as he watched the man's sunglasses fall to the ground, one lens broken.

"He's too fast. I only grazed him with one shot." She sounded both impressed and disappointed. Armstrong gasped as he took in the man in front of him.

"Brown skin, red eyes. That means he's-" Mustang interrupted him.

"Of course! He's an Ishvalen!" He exclaimed as he signaled for everyone who'd fanned out and surround the man to raise their guns. The Ishvalen man's keen eyes took in his situation. "You might as well give up, Scar. You're not going anywhere." Scar simply answered by slamming his hand to the ground and deconstructed the ground from underneath himself, disappearing down the sewers as bullets rained down on him.

"Damn. Bastard escaped." Havoc mumbled as the dust cleared and no Ishvalen, alive or dead, was in sight.

"Everyone, stay where you are." Mustang ordered as he moved over to the bigger alchemist. "Sorry, Armstrong, but thanks for buying us some time to surround him." Armstrong shook his head.

"Mm. I was hardly buying time. It was all Gary and I could do to keep me from getting killed." He told the Colonel, who shook his head in disbelief. Hughes chose that moment to make himself known.

"Is it over yet?" Armstrong and Mustang both spun to face the Lieutenant Colonel.

"Hughes, why weren't you out here, backing us up?" Mustang demanded.

"I thought it best to lay low." Before Mustang could yell at him, he turned to the soldiers who were standing around. "Don't just stand there! We've got things to do! Deploy troops! Circulate his description!" Ed realised he still hadn't checked on his brother and scrambled unsteadily to his feet, heading for the alleyway Al was in.

"Alphonse! Al, are you okay?" He asked, frantically looking over his brother's armour for signs his blood seal had been damaged. Havoc, Hawkeye, Armstrong and Mustang stood a few metres away, watching the scene unfold.

"That suit of armour is Elric's younger brother, isn't it?" Armstrong asked quietly while Ed took stock of the damage.

"There's got to be a really long story behind this one." Havoc stated. Mustang ignored them both and watched the boys carefully.

"I'm okay, Ed. Just in a few pieces. The damage didn't reach the seal." Al assured him and Ed sagged in relief.

"Thank goodness. Where's Chester?" Ed asked his next most urgent question as he looked around for the leopard. He'd lost track of him after Nala made her appearance.

 _"I'm here."_ Chester emerged, limping, from where he'd been laying.

"How badly hurt are you?" Ed asked, immediately moving closer so Chester didn't have to move as far.

 _"At least two ribs are broken and I think I twisted my front leg."_ Chester answered and Ed was comforted by the fact that it wasn't worse. It was a nasty kick he took.

"Okay, that's not too bad. Lay down so I can give you a once over to be sure." Ed instructed and everyone who wasn't Al or an Animal were astonished to realise that Ed could hear Chester, something that probably meant he could hear any Animal he wanted too. Mustang secretly cheered on the inside. He knew it! Nala looked at him bemusedly. She hadn't suffered any major injuries so Mustang and her had decided to leave them to heal. Ed had evidently finished his examination. "Okay, you have a bit of internal bleeding. Hold still." Ed closed his eyes and placed his hand over the big cat's body and activated the healing energy stored in him. Green energy glowed as he healed all of Chester's injuries, while the four people behind gaped in shock. Mustang hadn't suspected he could do that. Both Elric's ignored their audience. Once the green light dissipated, indicating the healing was completed, Chester hoped up and Ed sat back on his heels.

 _"Thanks, Ed."_ Chester grinned as he made himself comfortable next to Al.

"No worries. Ayala, your turn." He turned so he was facing his wolf. She gave him a look. "Oh don't bother arguing. You know I can heal you long distance even if it's a pain to do so and I'm fine so don't bother with that argument." He pointed out and she sighed in exasperation.

 _"If you pass out..."_ She warned as she made her over to him. He rolled her eyes before mimicking his earlier actions with Chester. The green light stayed active longer but that made sense she fought longer than Chester had. When the light faded, he looked far more exhausted but he was still conscious.

"Told you I was fine." He grinned tiredly.

 _"I'm not so sure about that."_ She sighed. Ed poked her tongue out at her and turned his attention back to Al and took in the extent of the damage both of them took.

"We're really falling apart, aren't we? We look like we belong on the scrap heap." Ed joked. His little brother chuckled.

"But we're alive." He sobered up as he realised just how close they'd come to losing their lives. If Nala hadn't turned up when she did, his brother wouldn't be here.

"Yeah. We are." Ed agreed as Ayala leaned up against his right side. Hughes chose that moment to stop bossing other soldiers around and stand at his best friends side.

"Whoa. I've stumbled into an extra special kind of freak show, haven't I?" He exclaimed as Leo reprimanded him, causing him to apologise to his irate Animal.

"Yeah, sorry." Mustang knew he was apologising more for keeping their secret from him than him having stumbled onto this scene and Hughes got the message.

"Nah, don't worry about it. I won't tell anyone upstairs. If this got out, things would get complicated." Hughes assured him. Mustang rolled his eyes at the understatement. They watched as Hawkeye placed her jacket around Ed's shoulders and the teen smiled up at her while Havoc knelt next to Al to see how he was.

"Yeah, the older brother aside, I wouldn't even begin to know how to explain the younger brother's body." Mustang admitted. Hughes sighed and Mustang gave him a questioning look.

"I don't envy you. This is one tough customer you're dealing with. At least we've got a better description of him. Hopefully that will help us catch him quicker before he tries this again. I mean, Ed barely held his own against him." Hughes grew quiet after that and Mustang didn't blame him. That was a bit too close for comfort. Nala had decided their conversation was boring and headed over to Ed.

"Nala! Thanks for your help. You weren't hurt, were you?" Ed asked as soon as he spotted the lioness.

 _"Only minor wounds. I'm glad you're okay. You really scared me out there."_ Nala admitted as she nudged his shoulder with her head. He scratched her head soothingly.

"Yeah, that scared me too. Thanks for showing up when you did." Ed placed their foreheads together and listened to her purr. A flutter of wings caught their attention and they broke apart to see Soren and Kara join them on the alleyway floor. "Hey, you two. Thank you for helping us out. You two didn't get hurt, right?" Both birds reported back that they weren't injured. "That's good." He was glad none of the Animals were hurt too badly while they were helping him out. Saving his life, if he was being completely honest.

"Hey, chief?" Ed turned to face Havoc. "We should get you two out of here." He said, looking back at the people who were starting to gather curiously. Thankfully, it was just Mustang and Hughes's teams but still, Havoc had a point.

"Okay. We need to get every piece of Al's armour and something to cover the ruined side up so no more metal is lost." Ed said and Havoc nodded as he and a few others moved to do as Ed said. Someone had found a small tarp and secured it around Al's damaged side. The remains of his arm and leg plus every shard of metal they could find and was positively identified as Al's armour by Ed were wrapped in another tarp and stored in the boot of Havoc's car. Armstrong and Gary helped load Al into the car since he couldn't do it himself. Chester jumped in after him. Hawkeye helped Ed to his feet and Mustang joined them as they moved out of the alleyway, Hawkeye's jacket still wrapped around Ed's shoulders.

"We'll head to the hospital first, Lieutenant. Havoc and Armstrong are going to take Al to the office." Mustang told Hawkeye, causing Ed to stop.

"Why are we being split up? And why are we going to a hospital? Did Hawkeye or you get hurt?" He asked, pissed they'd decided to split him and Al up. Mustang sighed in annoyance. This would've been so much easier if Ed had been knocked out.

"We're splitting you up because people might ask question if they saw a half suit of armour talking in the hospital. There won't be as many soldiers around my office at the moment. We're going to the hospital to make sure you don't have any brain damage or major injuries you've decided to hide from us. Consider it an order." He added the last part when he saw Ed get ready to argue.

"I'm fine! The only 'major' injury I've got is my missing automail! The hospital can't do shit about that!" Ed argued anyway. This was pointless. Mustang was doing this just to piss him off, he was sure.

"Fullmetal, you've suffered at least a head injury. You're going to the hospital and getting looked at by a doctor. That way, I'll know you aren't going to drop dead and I won't have any extra paperwork to fill out." Mustang informed him and Ed snarled until Ayala nudged him to the open car door.

 _"Don't argue. Just get in. It'll be over sooner if you just stop arguing."_ Ayala pointed out and Ed sighed.

"Fine! Pushy bloody wolf." He muttered as he trudged to the car. Ayala growled at him. "Bite me." Mustang smirked as Ayala seemed to consider doing just that before Ed winced in pain as he sat himself in the car. Ayala clambered in after him and, Mustang assumed, asked what was wrong. "I'm fine. You try getting kicked in the sternum and see if you don't bruise." Ed told his fussing wolf and she gave him a look that just screamed she didn't believe him. Hawkeye shut his door and both her, Mustang and their Animals hopped in the front. Nala ended up climbing over to the back seat with Ed and Ayala, claiming lack of room.

The drive to the hospital was quick, something Mustang was grateful for since it lessened the time Ed could start complaining or plotting his revenge. Hawkeye pulled up out front of the Emergency entrance and Mustang climbed out and waited for Ed, who only hopped out of the car after Hawkeye gave him some encouragement in the form of her gun. Nala and Ayala jumped out after him and Mustang escorted him inside while Hawkeye went and parked the car someplace more legal than the front of the ER. The nurses were busy but not swept off their feet and Mustang's uniform certainly assured them a quick response. A blonde, short haired nurse approached them almost as soon as they'd stopped to see where they were supposed to go.

"If you'll follow me, we've got a spare bay you can wait at while we find a doctor to have a look at you, Major Elric." Nobody questioned how she knew Edward. The kid was probably the record holder for most visits to this hospital. The nurse led them to the bay and Ed took his seat on the bed while Mustang sat in the chair next to it. Nala and Ayala made themselves comfortable next to Ed, even though Mustang shot Nala a disapproving and semi-betrayed look that she simply ignored. The nurse handed Ed the usual forms for him to fill out, which he did, utilising Ayala as a table. The doctor the nurse found barely gave the Animals a second glance when he turned up, just read over the forms Ed handed him.

"Hello, Major Elric. I'm Doctor Taylor. It says here that you suffered a head injury and a blow to your sternum?" He asked, deciphering Ed's scrawl.

"Yes. Minor injuries that didn't require me being dragged in here to see a doctor." Ed shot a look at Mustang, who rolled his eyes.

"Get over it, Fullmetal." The doctor intervened.

"Both those injuries can be serious, Major Elric. You could have suffered additional injuries, especially if your sternum is fractured or broken." Dr Taylor's voice took on the 'you're just a kid who doesn't know enough about medical stuff to be arguing' tone that Ed despised.

"We both know my head injury isn't severe enough to more than a mild concussion. I didn't lose consciousness when I got hit, I'm not dizzy or nauseous and I'm not sensitive to light or noise. The treatment for that is to take it easy and have someone check on me every few hours. My sternum isn't broken or fractured because it doesn't hurt enough for that. Therefore I have no other injuries associated with it. If I did, they would be injuries to my heart, specifically tears to a chamber or my aorta and I would be dead right now. The treatment for that is the same for a concussion, neither of which require me being in a hospital. All my other injuries are minor and don't require anything more than cleaning out, something I am more than capable of doing myself." Mustang was torn between being impressed and face-palming himself as Ed looked at the doctor, daring him to argue with his self-diagnosis and treatment plans.

"You may very well be correct, Major Elric. I wouldn't be surprised if you were but you still need to undergo tests just to be sure." His tone changed immediately when he realised Ed did know what he was on about. Ed groaned almost theatrically as he accepted his fate only after Ayala told him he had too or she'd be telling Al. Ed told her that that was rude but she wasn't overly phased. Ed had to wait with only Mustang for human company until they could squeeze him in for an x-ray. The doctor had already confirmed he had a mild concussion, something Ed looked only slightly smug about. Hawkeye turned up a few minutes into the consultation, with a sleepy looking Soren on her shoulder.

"How are you feeling, Major?" Hawkeye asked as she finished maneuvering around nurses, doctors and random Animals. Ed gave her his best 'get me out of here' look. Other than looking slightly amused, she didn't react to his silent plea.

"Soren, your human's being rude." He whined silently.

 _"She's worried about you."_ Soren told and Ed scoffed slightly, causing Hawkeye and Mustang to look over at him from where they stood talking.

"I'm fine." He said for what he felt was the hundredth time in the past couple of hours. Soren gave him an exceptionally disbelieving look that Hawkeye echoed which Ed pointedly ignored. Sighing, Ed didn't say anything in response to her look, he just returned her jacket to her. She accepted it with a thanks. The doctor came by a few minutes later while Ed, Nala and Ayala were in a debate about whether Ed would be forced to stay the night in the hospital.

"Major Elric, if you'd follow me. We're ready to take your x-ray." Ed jumped down from the bed and went to follow the doctor when he turned around to see his entourage trying to follow him.

"As much as I appreciate your company, it's just an x-ray. I'll be right back. Stay here." Ayala continued following. "That includes you, Aya. You wouldn't be allowed in there anyway." She pinned her ears back and whined, showing her unwillingness to leave him alone with the best puppy-dog eyes she could muster. Ed looked amused rather than like he'd change his mind. "Nice try. Stay here." He chuckled at her expression before following the doctor out to the x-ray room. Ayala sulked back to where Nala was waiting, the lioness having been the second part on Ed's entourage.

"There's no need to sulk, Ayala. It's a simple x-ray." Mustang was trying to be reassuring but he may have come across a little condescending because Ayala snarled at him from where she lay with her head on her front paws, watching the hallway her human disappeared down. Hawkeye may have shown no outward sign of amusement but Nala wasn't above laughing at his stunned reaction.

"How's the clean up going?" He asked Hawkeye, changing the subject to save face. The look Hawkeye gave him told him she'd seen right through him.

"It's going as well as could be expected. We've had trouble gathering alchemists willing to help patch up the alleyway and the staircase that was destroyed since word got out that Scar was targeting alchemists in the military. It appears people have taken that to mean any alchemist who helps the military, state certified or not. I've spoken to Second Lieutenant Havoc as well. Al is at the office awaiting for a report on his brother's condition. No one saw them go in. The rest of the team is there and Hughes and Armstrong said they'd be back there in a couple hours. They needed to make sure the correct information about Scar was released." Mustang nodded in acknowledgement. Maybe he could rope Edward into helping mend with the clean up. Then he remembered he was missing his automail arm and would need to go to Resembool as soon as possible so he couldn't help.

"Lieutenant, once Fullmetal has either been admitted or cleared to leave, would you please arrange the purchase for three tickets to Resembool on the next available train? Fullmetal's vacation has now become medical leave." Mustang sighed as he realised that the kid had still caused him more paperwork.

"Three tickets, sir?" Hawkeye asked. Mustang nodded.

"Three tickets. With Al like he is and Fullmetal unable to do alchemy, they'd be prime targets for someone with a vendetta against the military or them. I'll be sending someone to accompany them." Mustang told her and she nodded in understanding.

Ayala was semi-listening to their conversation. She was grateful to the Colonel for already arranging for her boy to go back to his hometown and get his automail fixed. She almost felt bad for snarling at him. Almost. She suddenly perked before bounding down the hallway Ed had gone down, Hawkeye and Mustang making startled noises at her sudden movements. Just before she rounded the corner, Ed appeared, grinning smugly and Mustang knew the kid had had his self-diagnosis proven correct. His grin turned from smug to genuinely happy when he saw Ayala and gave her a scratch behind the ear.

"I only had an x-ray, you know? I wasn't even gone that long." Ed informed his wolf even though his grin matched hers.

 _"I know but after what happened, I don't like you being out of my sight."_ Ayala told him and Ed blanched.

"Please don't tell me this is going to be a repeat of how you acted the first time I got hospitalised?" Ed shuddered as he recalled those days. It had taken almost a week of Ayala trying to follow him into the bathroom before she relaxed.

 _"Nooo."_

"That sounded convincing." He deadpanned while she chuckled in a way that made Ed nervous. He shot her a warning glare as they finished being escorted back to Mustang and Hawkeye by Doctor Taylor.

"Major Elric was correct in his diagnosis. He has a bruised sternum and the mild concussion. His other injuries have been cleaned and he's had to have a couple of stitches -"

"I didn't need them." The doctor ignored the interruption.

"But he doesn't require hospitalisation. He'll need to take it easy for at least two weeks, ideally a month. He's free to leave whenever he's ready." The doctor finished up.

"Thank you, Doctor Taylor." Hawkeye bowed slightly to the doctor, who mimicked her before taking his leave. He didn't want to be around the eldest Elric in a hospital more than necessary. It was almost a fight to get those stitches done without getting him so riled up his wolf noticed. The only thing scarier than Edward was his wolf when she was in protective mode. A nurse had learned that the hard way when he tried to strong-arm the alchemist into staying in his bed and Ayala had used his arm as a chew toy.

"Let's head to the office. I'm sure your brother is eager to make sure you aren't dying and I believe there are a few questions you need to answer." Mustang was certain his team would have questions considering he definitely did.

"Yay. Let's go." Ed grimaced at the thought of what questions everyone would have for him. Quite a few of his unique talents were on display today. He wondered how many they'd picked up on. They hustled out of the hospital, pace set by Edward, and Hawkeye brought the car around while they waited at the entrance. Ed had rolled his eyes and muttered something about him being a lazy bastard which Mustang decided to be the _bigger_ man and ignored. He snickered at his own joke and Ed shot him a glare, his 'short joke' radar going off. Hawkeye's timely arrival saved Mustang from a _miniature_ rant.

The drive back was much more relaxed now that Ed wasn't planning his revenge on Mustang for the completely unnecessary trip to the hospital. Once they arrived, Ed and Ayala were immediately out of the car and ready to head to the office when they were held back by Mustang.

"Three hours ago, you were almost killed by a man intent on killing every single State Alchemist he can find. You aren't able to defend yourself so you aren't going anywhere by yourself." For once, Ed didn't argue though he did shake Mustang's hand off him. They headed for Mustang's office when Chester joined him halfway down the hallway. Ed knelt to give the leopard a one armed hug, completely unashamed of showing affection he normally wouldn't in front of Mustang and Hawkeye. He knew he'd really worried the leopard today considering how close he came to dying.

"You and Al are still all good, yeah?" He asked Chester, releasing him from the hug though he kept his hand behind Chester's ears.

 _"Yeah, we were just worried about you. Ayala wouldn't answer me for a while there and I thought something had happened."_ Ed raised his brow at his wolf who had the decency to look a little ashamed.

"I was fine. She was just upset she couldn't go into the x-ray room with me." Ed rolled his eyes at his wolf's childish behaviour. Chester laughed at her and she huffed in annoyance as Ed straightened up. "Come on. We better make sure Havoc's not torturing Al with his dating sob stories." Mustang tried, and failed, to cover up his snort of laughter with a cough. Nala decided she'd had enough of them dawdling and nudged her head against the back of Mustang's knees to get him going.

Ed was greeted by a cacophony of noises, loudest of that was his brother's call of 'brother!' as soon as the suit of armour spotted him. That call caused everyone to turn to the door and look at him. Suddenly, he was surrounded by people asking him how he was and was almost overwhelmed by the attention and the amount of people in his personal space when Ayala and Chester's warning growls had them giving him some breathing space.

"I am completely fine. Just minor injuries." He told them and they all seemed relieved. Al was sitting against one of Mustang's couches in his inner office. Evidently, they'd placed him in there to prevent people seeing him in the shape he was, should someone had decided to drop by for some reason. Once Mustang, Hawkeye, Ed and their Animals finished entering the inner office, the door was shut and everyone seemed to be waiting for either Ed or Mustang to say or do something. Ed decided Mustang could take the lead and walked over so he could lay down on the couch Al was leaning up against. Nala had beat him over and he just used her as a pillow, to the amusement of almost everyone. Ayala took her place by Ed's side, cushioning herself between the back of the couch and Ed's side, resting her head on his lower gut as opposed to her usual spot; right over his heart.

"I think the team, as well as myself, have some questions for you, Fullmetal." Mustang wasn't impressed that Edward had decided to leave it up to him to explain things and that he was laying in his nice couch in his filthy clothes. Ed raised a brow at him.

"First off, Hughes and Armstrong ain't here and I'm not repeating this shit twice. Secondly, how about you explain to me and Al why Scar being Ishvalen makes it more reasonable for him to be trying to blow my brains out?" All the eyes in the room flicked back to Mustang.

"Fine." Mustang headed to his desk and sat down. "The Ishvalans were a race of people who lived to the east of us. They believed their god Ishvala was the one, absolute creator. Even after they were annexed into the country, there were still conflicts between us and them. Then, thirteen years ago, a military officer accidentally shot and killed an Ishvalan child. This accident led to a full blown civil war. One uprising led to another, and before long, the rebellion had spread to the whole eastern sector. After seven years of this, an order came down from the military high-command. We were to exterminate Ishval. Many State alchemists were brought in to act as human weapons. Needless to say, the State Alchemists produced striking results. That man is an Ishvalan survivor. In a sense, his revenge is justified." Ed had sat up and was openly gaping at him. He'd known the Ishvalen Civil War was horrible. As a young child, he'd regularly seen soldiers marching through Resembool to get to Ishval and he'd seen the wounded come back. But there was still something that didn't sit well with him.

"Fine. He's going after State Alchemists because he's getting revenge for what happened in Ishval. But that doesn't explain why he went after me. There's no justification for taking revenge on people who had nothing to do with it! He's just dressing his ugly lust for vengeance in the mantle of his god and calling himself an agent of justice." Ed ranted. For fuck's sake, he was only 2 when the Ishvalan child was shot!

"Brother, he's not stable. You can't expect him to stop and think about whether the alchemist he's after actually was in Ishval. All he sees is just a State Alchemist." Al rationalised. Ed grumbled but he accepted it, even if he didn't like it. He, Ayala and Chester almost died because that man had decided to throw a blanket over all the State Alchemists instead of going after those who were actually there. Not that he wanted any of them killed, not even Tucker though he couldn't say he was exactly upset over his death, but now that he knew why Scar was coming after him, he was pissed off. This was just an added bump in their journey to get the Stone and the fact he wasn't being targeted for something other than joining the State Alchemist program irritated him to no end.

"Now, I believe you owe us some answers, Fullmetal." Mustang said, leaning back in his office chair.

"Nope. I said I wasn't saying anything 'til Hughes and Armstrong showed up. They ain't here, I ain't answering any questions." Ed said, laying back on Nala again and closing his eyes. Hawkeye headed out of the room, claiming to need to make a phone call. It was only a minute or two later that she resumed her spot next to Mustangs side. Two seconds later, before Mustang had a chance to convince the blonde to start talking, Hughes and Armstrong burst through the office door. Well, Hughes did. Armstrong followed him, closing the door with a bit more respect than Hughes had opened it, once he and their two Animals had followed Hughes through.

"Ed! Glad to see you weren't hospitalised!" Hughes smiled at him and Ed couldn't help but return the smile.

"I didn't even need to go to the hospital. I wasn't badly hurt, just like I said." Pointed look thrown at Mustang and Hughes laughed st him, earning him a scowl.

"Right. Well, Hughes and Armstrong are here. Time for you to uphold your end of the deal, Fullmetal." Mustang smirked, finally turning attention back on the blonde himself. Ed sighed and winced as he sat up fully, pushing Ayala off him and causing her to get in a comfortable position again. Chester looked up in mild annoyance as Ed rested his feet on the leopard but settled back next to Al, not really minding.

"Al, you okay with me telling them everything? Including what we did that night?" Ed asked. It wasn't his place to tell people what had happened to Alphonse unless his brother agreed to it first.

"I think we should. We can trust them with this." Al said and Ed had to agree with him. They'd known the team for nearly two years and none of them had ever given them cause for concern. Everyone had basically gathered near the couch opposite them, either standing behind or sitting on it. Mustang and Hawkeye were over near his desk and Mustang was leaning forward with his elbows braced on his desk.

"Okay, so in order to explain most of what happened today, you need to know what happened before Mustang tracked us down." He fidgeted a bit but resumed the story. "When we were 8 and 9, our mum passed away. Fast forward two years, we'd both finished our training with our teacher and returned to Resembool. We'd spent months studying and researching to do this one transmutation and, a couple months after Al turned 10, we decided we'd found every relevant scrap of information and had every ingredient we needed so we went for it. We were so fucking stupid. We tried to bring our mum back. Human transmutation." Every single person, aside from Hawkeye, Mustang and Al were staring at him in shock. They all knew how morally and legally wrong human transmutation was.

"You committed the ultimate taboo and survived?" Armstrong asked, shocked. Being the only alchemist, aside from Mustang and the brothers themselves, he knew exactly what that meant.

"Yeah, barely." Ed scoffed but held his hand up when Fuery was about to ask him what he meant. "The reason human transmutation is forbidden and always unsuccessful is because there is nothing equal to a human soul. We activated the array but almost immediately, everything went wrong. The array rebounded. I'm not gonna go into details but the price of the failed transmutation was Al's whole body and my left leg. I don't know if anyone but Mustang or Armstrong will understand this but when my leg was taken, I was shown the Truth and passed through the Gate. I gained knowledge, which is why I can perform alchemy the way I do. I lost my right arm bonding Al's soul to the armour he's in." He stopped there to give them some time for everything to sink in. He wanted to be out from under their bewildered gazes but he held his ground.

"Okay, so that actually explains a lot about things we've noticed about Al." Falman, surprisingly, was the one who broke the silence. "But what about today? We saw you heal Chester and it looked like you and he could talk to each other." Ed reached down and scratched Chester behind the ears.

"We're not actually 100% sure why but when I woke up after that night, I found out I could talk to and hear Chester like I could Ayala. I can actually do this with any Animal I want to. Yeah they all knew. We wanted to see how long it'd take you lot to individually figure it out but I guess circumstances forced my hand." Cue the comically shocked looks each Animal got from their human, Mustang being the exception. "Anyway, after I woke up, Chester spoke to Al and I heard it. We have no clue why. We have a theory about why I can heal him though. His energy is stored in me. We think that's because mine and Al's souls are connected somehow and because Animals energy needs a flesh and blood host. This also means I feel any injuries he gets and vice versa, though we don't feel it as severely as we would if he was my Animal." He stopped for a breather. He honestly hadn't talked this much about this since he first realised what he could do.

"Wait, so could you heal our Animals?" Havoc asked once he'd digested the information Ed had just laid on them. Ed shook his head.

"No, I don't have access to their energy. Though, I probably could if I found or created the right array." He mused but shook his head. "Anyway, in the interest of full disclosure though, there is something else I can do. I can sight-share with your Animals." Mustang joined the rest of them this time in looking shocked. Even Hawkeye couldn't keep her professional mask in place. She may have suspected Soren and Ed could talk but this was something she would never have guessed.

"You can sight-share with our Animals?" Mustang asked, disbelievingly. Ed bristled.

"What? You don't believe me? All of your Animals will tell you. Though, Nala is the only one I've actually tried it with." He hadn't bothered with the others because he had no need too, though he had told them he could like he did with Leo. Mustang still didn't look like he believed him. "Do you want me to prove it to you?" He asked, a little angry.

"Don't sound so pissy. You know as well as anyone that alchemists don't believe in anything they haven't seen or confirmed for themselves." Mustang smirked at him.

"Fine, you stubborn bastard." He turned to Nala. "Do you mind?"

 _"No. He is rather stubborn. No wonder you two fight so much."_ Nala laughed at his expression.

"Don't even joke like that. Anyway, ready?" Edward asked and Nala nodded. Ed shut his eyes and reached for their connection. "Nala, sight!" He called, snapping his open as soon as Nala accepted his request. He smirked in triumph as he saw Mustang's astonished face through Nala's eyes. He heard everyone else gasp in surprise when they saw the light blue rings surround Nala and Ed's eyes.

 _"I think they believe us."_ Nala chuckled at the feelings she felt through her and Roy's bond. Ed laughed out loud.

"I agree. End sight." Blinking to adjust to seeing out of his own eyes again, Ed looked at Mustang with a self-satisfied smile. "Believe me now?" Mustang nodded.

"Wow." Breda voiced what everyone else was thinking.

"Don't worry. I won't be sight-sharing unless it's an emergency." He assured them all but Havoc shook his head.

"Chief, I knew you were awesome but I didn't realise how awesome you were." He said, awe drenching his voice. Ed glared at him.

"I got these talents by almost killing my brother, our Animals and myself." Ed reminded him flatly. Havoc blanched at the bluntness he said it with. Mustang cleared his throat, effectively cutting the sudden tension in the room.

"There was something I and Lieutenant Havoc, at least, noticed when we all arrived." Ed stared at him and he took that as permission to continue. "How did you get Ayala out from under the collapsed wall?" Ed's brow crinkled as he thought back to what Mustang was talking about before he realised what he was asking about.

"Oh, that. Yeah, I don't know when we discovered we could do that. Maybe after our second or third lesson with Teacher?" He looked at Ayala for confirmation and she shrugged. "Well whenever it was, it was only a month or two after we got off that island. Teacher had decided to give me and Ayala lessons so we learnt to fight effectively against another bonded pair. After the second or third lesson of us basically getting our arses whooped, she managed to separate us and Teacher and her Animal ganged up on Ayala. I guess it was just a gut feeling or something but I went with it and activated an earth array to throw a wall up between her and Teacher. I honestly don't know who was more surprised out of the four of us. It was the only fight we'd ever won against her." He and Ayala shared a grin at the memory. Mustang's impatience got the better of him.

"That's great but how do you do it?" Ed raised a brow at him but decided to forego Hawkeye shooting him for teasing Mustang.

"Well, it's pretty much the same idea behind how I do alchemy. By clapping my hands, I create a circle with my body. By using Ayala, I'm creating a circle using our bond." Ed put it as simply as he could. Mustang and Armstrong were the only two in the room who fully understood what he meant. The others understood to some degree but they weren't alchemists so they didn't truly get the significance of the circle, just that it was needed.

"So you and Ayala could do that before the night of the transmutation?" Mustang asked, a little unsure he believed a ten year old could do that sort of alchemy.

"I could've alchemically kicked your arse by the time I was six." Havoc, Fuery, Breda and Hughes couldn't hide their snorts of laughter before Mustang sent them a glare they were sure was supposed to have them quivering in their boots but really wasn't effective.

"Just alchemically?" Mustang asked, eyebrow raising, almost like a challenge.

"Well, I think you would've had a distinct advantage physically fighting a six year old." Ed deadpanned and Al joined the laughter as they envisioned that particular fight. "Though considering the most field action you've gotten lately was today, I reckon I could take you on in a physical fight." He mused and Mustang saw his chance and took it.

"I don't know, Fullmetal. You'd still have the same height disadvantage." The effect was almost immediate as every held their breath while they waited for Edward to realise what Mustang said. Al started a mental countdown: 3, 2, 1...

"WHO'RE YOU CALLING SHORT?!" Ed screeched at Mustang who was, naturally, smirking at the ever-entertaining reaction he got from the blonde. Hawkeye's gun being cocked stopped him from making any remarks.

"Boys..." She warned and even those she wasn't threatening flinched at the sound of the gun. They both backed down, as per her request, but Edward still shot Mustang his best death glare.

"Well, moving on. Ed, Al, what're your plans now?" Hughes asked after a tense moment of waiting for Hawkeye to disarm and holster her weapon.

"We're gonna keep moving forward. We got shit to do and only death is gonna stop us." Ed said, completely serious. Alphonse glanced at their broken bodies.

"Brother..." Ed nodded, telling Al he hadn't forgotten.

"Before we can do that though, we gotta get my arm back. After all, I'm the only one who knows how to bond your soul to that armour." He tapped Al lightly on his only shoulder. Hughes wasn't the only one smiling at the rare show of brotherly love.

"You realise what that means." Al said, half-excited, half-worried. Ed couldn't surpress his grimace as he did realise what that meant.

"Yup. We've got no choice. It's been a long time," Not long enough if you asked him "but we've gotta pay a visit to our mechanic." He let out a long suffering sigh. Al patted him on the shoulder, a gesture of sympathy and comfort. Even Ayala could already feel the injuries he was going to receive.

"Speaking of," Hawkeye spoke before anyone could question Ed's dramatics, "I've booked you tickets to Resembool for tomorrows train." Ed wasn't sure if he should be grateful he was going back sooner than anticipated. He finally decided that the quicker he got his automail fixed, the sooner he'd be out of harm's way.

"Maybe I'll be meeting death sooner than I thought." He was joking. Mostly.

"Brother, she's not that bad. Plus, she'll be really happy seeing us! You remember I said she had something big to tell us?" Al tried to cancel out his brother's pessimistic attitude. Ed rolled his eyes.

"She's gonna be happy for all of three seconds before she realises I got my automail destroyed. I'll be lucky to be alive long enough to know what she's so excited about!" Ed insisted.

"Who're you two talking about?" Havoc finally intervened, asking what most of them were thinking.

"My mechanic and our childhood friend, Winry Rockbell." Ed informed him. Havoc still looked confused. "You know how Mustang is with mini-skirts?" Havoc nodded, the both of them ignoring the indignant "Hey!". "Well, minus the perverseness and add it to the obsessiveness and that's Winry when it comes to her automail." Havoc winced in sympathy.

"Yeesh. Sorry, chief. I hope you come back alive." He offered a smile and Ed accepted it with a nod of thanks. Mustang stood up, the move drawing everyone's attention to him.

"Now that we've discussed what we needed to, you can all go home for the day. Fullmetal, get the details of your booking from Hawkeye. Major Sergeant Fuery, Major Armstrong, escort Fullmetal and Alphonse back to their dorm. Take a car. The less people that see Alphonse before his armour is fixed, the better." Mustang gave his orders and everyone moved to obey, even Ed. Once he got the time he needed to be at the station and was given the heads up that someone, likely Armstrong, would be taking him to the station, he followed everyone else out. Gary helped Armstrong load Alphonse into the waiting car and, after a bit of shuffling around, everyone was loaded into the car. Gary and Ed sat on one bench while Al, Ayala and Chester squeezed onto the other and Armstrong and Fuery took the front.

"Thanks for all your help today, Major, Gary." Al said as he was placed on his bed, surprisingly carefully by the excessively massive alchemist. Ed seriously wondered if he should get his head re-examined because he swore he saw pink sparkles coming from the Major and Gary as they accepted the armour's thanks.

"You are most welcome, Alphonse Elric!" Armstrong boomed loud enough to shake the walls.

 _"I really believe turning down those guards was a bad idea, Edward. Are you sure you'll be okay?"_ Gary asked as Al tried to stop the Major from stripping.

"Yeah we'll be fine. Those soldiers would've been collateral damage if Scar did decide to hunt us and he found us." Ed was convinced Scar wouldn't try anything tonight, which is why he told Mustang that if he found any evidence of guards near his dorm tonight, he'd turn all of his uniforms bright pink after the black haired alchemist offered to assign him some after Hughes suggested he do so. Mustang decided to heed his warning.

"We'll see you in the morning, Ed. Major Armstrong and I are taking you to the train station." Fuery broke in, still in awe of Ed's ability to talk to other Animals, something Ed wasn't really hiding anymore now that everyone knew. Ed nodded his thanks and they said goodnight to each other before Ed shut and locked their dorm door, beyond ready for a shower and to collapse in his bed. He forced the two Animals to have a bath first, something that was a bit more difficult with one hand than he expected it to be. He was almost surprised at the amount of crap that came off of him. He and Al cleaned out the wounds Ed had uncovered and Al winced as he saw all the bruises starting to form. He wished this was the worst shape he'd seen his brother in.

After they were done and the medical supplies were packed away, Ed crawled into bed and it honestly felt like the most luxurious thing he'd ever laid on. He didn't think he was so tired but apparently fighting almost to the death and unloading nearly all of your emotional baggage took a lot out of the nearly 15 year old. Al promising him he'd wake him up and saying good night was the last thing he heard before he fell into a sleep deep enough nightmares wouldn't touch him.

 **A/N - I'm sorry for how long this chapter took to get posted but I didn't get the chance to be near my laptop for like, three days over Christmas! Well, I could've but I decided not to chance my little cousins breaking it when they saw it so I didn't. Thank you to those who have inboxed me or left reviews telling me what they thought of the last chapter. Please keep doing that so I know how I did, especially with the fight scene and aftermath in this chapter. I also decided to let the rest of the team in on Ed's talents and the boys' big secret simply because I figured that's probably when they found out what had really happened to them since half the team saw Al's empty armour. So, pretty please let me know what you thought to this chapter! Thank you once again to those who've kept with the story!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17-**

Ed sighed as he adjusted himself so he was more comfortable on the train bench while they were waiting for it to leave the station. He had no idea where Al was because their escort had put him in a different area of the train, claiming that a broken, talking suit of armour would attract some unwanted attention. Chester had decided to forego the relatively comfortable train benches to keep Al comfortable, despite his younger brothers protests that he should stay with Ed. Ed ended up being the one to put his foot down and tell Al that Chester was staying with him so Ed knew he was alright. Al didn't argue after that. However, he still didn't see why an escort who took up nearly the entire bench opposite him and his Animal who was squeezed onto what remained of the seat. A tap on the window grabbed his and Ayala's attention.

"Hey, Hughes and Leo." He greeted once he'd managed to open the window. Ayala had shifted so she was sitting up, peering over Ed's shoulder.

"Hey, Ed, Ayala. The folks at the Eastern Command Centre were a little too busy to make it down here today so I came to see you off instead." He explained.

 _"Hey, Ed. How are you feeling?"_ Leo asked at the same time.

"I woke up covered in lots of pretty blues and purples this morning." Leo and Hughes winced in sympathy. "Anyway, why is Major Armstrong here with me?" He shot the Major a side glance and the massive man didn't seem phased by the fact Ed was talking about him.

"For protection. What would happen if Scar came after you now? You're in no shape for a fight now, Ed. The Major's here to help. Just try to grin and bear it." He added the last part as he saw a protest start to form on Ed's lips.

"Children can be so stubborn." Armstrong informed Hughes. Ed's attention was immediately on the bigger alchemist.

"Hey, shut up! I'm not a child! Anyway, are you sure Al made it on board okay? Chester said it was really dark where they are." He asked, worry tinging his voice.

"Of course. Even though he has Chester, I did think they'd get a little lonely so I put them in the livestock carriage." Armstrong explained, proud of himself. Ed looked shocked.

"My brother is not some kind of farm animal!" He exclaimed, offended on Al's behalf. The train whistle blowing alerted them to the trains impending departure.

"Oh, looks like it's time to go. You boys have a safe trip and make sure you give me a shout next time you're in Central." Hughes smiled at him and Ed returned the gesture and told him they would. Hughes stepped away from the train and waved them off as the train left the station. Ed settled back into his seat and Ayala made herself comfortable, resting her head in his lap.

"Hey, Ches. You two comfortable?" Ed asked, closing his eyes in an attempt to block everything else out.

 _"We're as good as can be expected. The sheep are keeping out of our personal space. Can't imagine why."_ Ed could just imagine sarcastic and toothy grin Chester would be sporting as he said that. Those poor sheep.

"Oh yes. A real mystery." Ed rolled his eyes and Chester laughed at how serious he said it. "Let me know if you guys need anything. Please don't eat the sheep. I'm not explaining that to whoever's expecting them. I'm gonna nap. I'm still really tired." Ed wasn't really surprised he was tired. He was in a life-or-death fight yesterday and it wasn't exactly in his favour.

 _"I'll do my best but they might start looking tastier the longer we're stuck in here. You have a good sleep. I'll wake you if something happens."_ Chester assured him and Ed shut his eyes, already half asleep.

Ed was awoken an unknown amount of time later by Armstrong shouting something. Thinking they were being attacked, Ed jolted awake and wasn't impressed when he saw the massive alchemist hanging out the window, well his head was since that was the only body part that could fit out of the window, and shouting at someone.

"Doctor Marcoh! Doctor Marcoh, that is you, right? It's me! Alex Louise Armstrong from Central!" An old, average sized man with short black hair that was turning grey at the sides turned at the sound of his name and, once he caught sight of Armstrong, paled considerably. Ed thought that was fair, if not mildly over the top, reaction to seeing someone who looks like they could kill you just by squeezing your head between their fingers. However, Armstrong didn't appear or act threatening enough to cause the man to take off running as fast as he could in the opposite direction.

"Friend of yours?" Ed deadpanned as they watched the doctor's dust trail dissipate. Armstrong sat back in his seat, looking mildly upset.

"He's from Central. A talented State Alchemist. He was researching into possible medical applications of alchemy, but after the Ishvalen Civil War, he vanished. He and his Animal completely disappeared." Ed perked as he listened to Armstrong. Medical applications of alchemy? Ayala seemed to be on the same wave length as Ed. They both jumped up, causing Armstrong and Gary to half rise from their seat.

"Let's go, Major! We gotta get Al and look for that doctor! He might know some useful bio alchemy!" Ed exclaimed as he and Ayala headed to leave the train. Armstrong and Gary followed and, while Ed and Ayala waited impatiently, went and grabbed Alphonse and Chester. Alphonse wasn't the only one relieved to be out of the sheep carriage.

"You smell like sheep." Ed smirked as the leopard came to sit next to him.

 _"Shut up or I'll bite you."_ Chester scowled as Ed chuckled at the threat.

"Consider me warned." Chester wasn't overly happy with the amusement in his voice still. Armstrong finished doing whatever he was in his notebook and Gary hefted the crate that Al was in and they headed in the direction the doctor had disappeared in. Chester was happily taking in the fresh air and sunshine while Ayala was on guard, making sure nothing was going to happen to her boy. Ed rolled his eyes but was just happy this was as excessive as she'd decided to be after Scar's attack. Armstrong was stopping people ahead and showing them something. Ed caught up and saw an exceptionally good pencil drawing of the man they were looking for.

"Wow, Major! You can really draw." Ed praised, surprised that such a large man could draw so well. Gary beamed with pride as Armstrong flexed.

"The art of portraiture had been passed down through the Armstrong family for generations." He exclaimed, shirt threatening to rip off while Ed waved his hands to get him to keep it on. Thankfully, the man Armstrong had stopped spoke up.

"That man looks like Dr Mauro to me." He said as he flicked his eyes over the drawing, nodding slightly.

"Mauro?" Armstrong asked and the man took it as a question as to who the man was.

"All our towns doctors were drafted to help on the battlefields during the civil war. Than Doctor Mauro came here. He's really been a lifesaver." They thanked the man and decided to keep asking around, just to get the story.

"He'll see any patient and he never gives up on anyone. We're lucky he's here." Another man they'd stopped told them.

"You'll see this big, bright flash of light and then you're cured, just like that!" A woman exclaimed, startling her small child from the enthusiasm in her voice. Armstrong and Ed decided they'd gotten enough of the same story and asked the woman where they could find Doctor Mauro. She happily gave them directions. They thanked her and soon found themselves climbing up a set of stairs and facing an old door.

"This is it." Ed said after Armstrong let out a questioning hum. He knocked his automail fist on the door. "Hello?" He called. The door swung open and Ed found himself facing the business end of a pistol. He immediately raised his hands in the surrender position, deciding not to antagonise the man with the gun. Ayala, however, wasn't as calm as her human was.

"Alright, tell me what the two of you are doing here! Have you come to-" Whatever else he was going to say was cut off as he was tackled by the gold wolf.

"Ayala! Don't hurt him!" Ed called as she and the doctor fell back to the floor, Marcoh having been startled enough to release the gun. He was too busy looking at Ayala's bared teeth near his neck to notice a grey blur rushing to his aid. Ed noticed and called out a warning to his wolf but Chester had inserted himself in between Ayala and the approaching threat. The koala, Ed had identified it, slid to a stop as it found its path blocked by the clouded leopard. Ordinarily, such a small animal would be intimidated by such a large predator facing it but this koala was an Animal and its human was in danger. Launching itself, it lashed out with its claws and Ed felt a flash of dull pain as the attack connected. Chester snarled but before he could launch a counter attack, Ed was standing between him and the koala. "That is enough. Chester, Ayala, back off. And you," he directed the next part telepathically, "settle down. Your human is no longer in danger." The koala sat there stunned as Ayala and Chester did as they were told. Ed watched the koala get over its shock and, after a suspicious glance at Edward, ran over to its human who gathered it up and stood.

"Nicely handled, Edward Elric!" Armstrong called out as he, Gary and Al stepped through the door.

"How's Chester? He's bleeding!" Al fretted as he spotted the small pool of blood gathering next to one of the leopards front paws.

"He's fine, Al. I'll heal him and he'll be good as new. Stop panicking." Ed said as he knelt next to Chester. "Hand your leg over." He ordered him, holding his palm out to inspect the wound. There were three ragged cuts on his leg, each one a varying depth and length. Chester hissed as Ed prodded on one the wounds. Telling the leopard to keep it elevated, Ed summoned Chester's energy and placed his flesh hand over the wound, letting green energy glow and dissipate as it finished doing its job.

 _"Thanks, Ed."_ Chester said as he placed weight on the leg.

"Maybe try not getting attacked by a koala next time." Ed smirked as Chester growled at him. Ed turned from the leopard to face the doctor who looked expectantly confused and scared. His koala was latched onto his arm, clinging like he was a tree branch.

"Are you here to silence me or drag me back to Central?" Marcoh demanded, something that would've been more impressive id his voice wasn't trembling and he was flicking his gaze around the room nervously.

"Neither. We didn't know this is where you were hiding until we saw you. Please, doctor, all we want is to talk." Armstrong said gently. Marcoh seemed to relax a little at his words but he was still eyeing Ayala and Chester nervously.

"Chester won't hurt you, Doctor Marcoh." Al promised, his voice as soft and non-threatening as possible. Marcoh's eyes seemed to grow three times their size as he realised the voice was coming from the broken armour Gary was holding. Chester sat next to the gorilla, in a show of non-hostility. Marcoh's eyes followed Ayala as she silently padded over to Ed's side.

"As long as you don't do something stupid, like threaten me with a gun, Ayala won't touch you." Ed promised, ignoring his brother's hissed 'brother!'. Marcoh had the decency to look mildly ashamed of his actions. With a silent gesture and loud sigh, Marcoh gestured for them to sit at the table. Gary placed the crate Al was in on one of the chairs and soon they'd all sat. Marcoh looked like he was still struggling with processing everything that had happened in the last five minutes.

"So you changed your name and decided to live in hiding way out here in the countryside. If rumours I've heard can be believed, when you disappeared, you took some top secret research materials with you." Armstrong stated. Marcoh nodded.

"I couldn't handle it anymore. Orders or no orders, to have to dirty my hands researching that thing was too much. Not to mention how it and my stress was affecting Carrie. I couldn't keep doing that to her." He explained, briefly raising a hand to pat the koala, Carrie, before looking back at Armstrong.

"What 'thing' is that?" Ed asked, not bothering to be polite about asking. He had this nagging feeling that this was something he needed to know.

"It took so many lives..." Marcoh's voice turned soft and haunted as he remembered. "During the Ishval Civil War, so many innocents died because of it. I could spend my whole life trying and still never atone for my sins. But I had to do something so I came here to be a doctor so I could help save lives instead of taking them." His tone took on a pleading note, begging them to understand. Carrie snuggled closer to him.

"Doctor, what exactly were you ordered to do research on? What 'thing'?" Armstrong's strong voice held a friendly yet authoritative tone. Marcoh looked at him.

"The Philosophers Stone. The top secret materials I took were my research notes and the stone itself." Ed's jaw dropped and he heard Al give a small gasp. Excitement and hope flooded his veins for the first time in a long time. Ayala and Chester squirmed in excitement.

"Do you mean you still have it? It's here?" He asked as Marcoh stood up, moving so his back was to them. He produced something and Ed saw him reveal a glass vial no bigger than his finger and no wider than his thumb. He stared at the thick, blood red liquid in the vial. "How can that be the stone? It's liquid!" He questioned, understandably confused.

"The Sage's Stone. The Grand Elixir. The Celestial Stone. The Red Tincture. The Fifth Element." Doctor Marcoh spouted out alternate names the stone had been referred to and, to Ed's horror turned confusion, tipped the red liquid onto the table where it gathered to resemble a solid stone. "Just as the Philosopher's Stone is called by many names, it can take on many forms. It is not necessarily a stone. This is an incomplete product, however. There is no way to know when it'll reach its limit and become unusable." Marcoh explained, almost sadly as he gathered the liquid back into the vial. Ed watched almost greedily.

"Finished or not, it demonstrated plenty of power in Ishval, right?" He asked, eyes still on the vial. Marcoh looked at him concerned but Ed wasn't paying him any attention. He was talking out loud to himself. "It's just like that stone the false prophet had in Liore. It was incomplete but it still amplified his powers considerably. If imitation stones this powerful can be created, who's to say a complete product can't be? Please, Dr Marcoh, I need access to your research materials." He turned his golden gaze and was met with horrified brown ones.

"Major, who exactly is this boy?" Marcoh asked Armstrong, still looking at the blonde.

"This boy is a State Alchemist, doctor." Marcoh's eyes snapped to Armstrong in disbelief.

"What? But he's only a child! After the war, there were so many State Alchemists who turned in their state certifications because they refused to serve as human weapons. And now a child!" He ranted, disbelieved the military would stoop so low. He missed the flash of unbridled anger run through Ed and Ayala's eyes.

"You honestly believe I don't know what I've signed up for?! I know what I'm doing but I've got no other choice! If this is a mistake than it's a mistake I have to make. There is no other way." Ed may have started out angry but his voice faded to something that made Marcoh realise that this child knew exactly what path he'd chosen.

"Why?" Ed's eyes flicked to meet Marcohs. "Why do you need it so badly?" Ed hesitated but figured he had nothing to lose. Armstrong already knew everything so he gave Marcoh the short version of what he'd done that night. Hearing the story a second time didn't make it less emotional for Armstrong or Gary. Marcoh's face went through half a dozen emotions before Ed stopped talking. He glanced at the armour and made the connections.

"I see. So you've committed the ultimate taboo." He got up and knelt in front of Alphonse, causing Chester to shift as he scrutinised the soul bond once Al had lifted his helmet. "Amazing. The ability to transmute a specific person's soul like this. Maybe one as talented as you might be able to produce a completed Philosopher's Stone." Marcoh mused as he stood back up. Ed felt hope run through his body like electricity.

"So-" He was cut off before he could even ask.

"But I can't show you my research." Marcoh shook his head and refused to meet Ed's eyes.

"Why not?" He demanded as he felt that hope rush out of his body.

"You must not seek after the stone." Marcoh sounded adamant. Ed kept trying.

"Not even to get our bodies back?" He tried to plead to the doctor side of Marcoh, the side that wanted to help people.

"Never! This is the devil's research! If you chase the stone, you'll end up going through hell!" Marcoh shouted, trying to get it through the stubborn blondes head. He saw the pain and fury flood Ed's eyes as he slammed his hand on the wooden table.

"I've already been through hell!" Ed shouted back at him and Marcoh collapsed in his chair, head in his hand as he shook his head.

"Please. Please just leave." He couldn't look at them as he begged for them to leave. He knew he'd just stolen the young alchemists hope and he couldn't bear seeing the results of that. Ed just stared at him as he considered his options. In the end, he couldn't bring himself to argue with the old man. He looked so pathetic and beaten. Carrie was watching him warily and Ed sighed. Obviously, he and Al were going to have to keep chasing long shots and dead ends, like they've been doing the past two years.

"Let's go. There's nothing for us here." Al could hear the broken tone Ed was trying to hide. They'd been so close to something tangible, to a lead that could have solved their problem. Gary hefted his crate and followed the two alchemists and Animals back out into the sunshine, Armstrong shut the door behind him but not before stealing one last glance at the doctor. He was still hunched over, head in his hands while Carrie soothed him with soft pets.

The walk back to the train was silent and Armstrong could feel the disappointment and bitter defeat coming from both Elric brothers. You'd have to have been blind to miss how hopeful they'd been, only for Marcoh to rip it away like that. He could understand why Marcoh didn't want them to have it. He literally ran from the military, committing treason when he stole that research, and hid it all away because of how strongly he'd felt about how evil it was. That didn't mean Armstrong didn't feel for the boys. They'd neared the train when Armstrong asked Ed something.

"Are you sure about this, Edward? Even an incomplete stone could be useful. You could have taken it from Marcoh with force." He pointed out though he was glad it hadn't come to that. He liked the doctor and didn't want to see him hurt.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't consider that. I wanted it so badly, I could taste it. But still..." Ed trailed off and Al picked up where his brother left off.

"But still, we don't want it so badly that we'd be willing to deprive this town of the only doctor they have just to get it." Ed nodded in agreement.

"Besides, we gained plenty today just by finding out it can be made, that we're not chasing a fairy tale. Now we just have to find a way to do it." He glanced at Armstrong. "What about you, Major? How do you feel about not reporting back to Central on Doctor Marcoh's location?" He asked, genuinely curious.

"I met a simple, small town doctor today. I see no reason why that should be reported." He remarked casually and Ed smiled at the response. He'd thought it'd be something like that. Ayala and Chester both stilled as they sensed something coming from behind them. Ed spun as he realised why they'd stopped and was stunned to see Marcoh running towards them, calling for them to wait.

"Doctor Marcoh, Carrie?" Ed asked, perplexed at seeing the man and the koala. Said man was hunched over to catch his breath but soon straightened and handed Ed a piece of paper.

"Carrie told me you spoke to her. She said you were a good person with only good intentions and that you wouldn't misuse this information or let it fall into the wrong hands without a fight. That paper is where my materials are hidden. If you're certain you won't regret learning the truth in the end, start there. Maybe you can find the truth hidden within the truth." The small spark of hope was back in Ed's eyes and, despite having met him barely an hour ago, Marcoh found himself glad he was the cause of it. "But I've said too much already. I hope the day will come when you are able to restore your bodies." He said sincerely and before Ed or Al could thank him, he was gone, leaving the blonde alchemist standing in front of the waiting train, clutching a scrap of paper like his life depended on it.

"Brother, what does the note say?" Al couldn't contain his excitement as he watched his brother read the note in his hand.

"National Central Library, First Branch." Ed's lips stretched into a grin as he crumpled the paper in his fist.

"I get it. It's like hiding a tree in a forest." Armstrong could appreciate the cleverness behind that. Ed's eyes got their familiar fire back as he grinned at his brother.

"Finally, Al. We've got a real lead!" He exclaimed. Ayala and Chester were bounding around them. This had been a long time coming. Both Animals could tell how much each failed lead had affected both boys and they didn't like it. But now, for the first time in a long time, both boys had hope and an excellent lead. If they hadn't been so caught up in their excitement, they might have sensed the dark wrongness that came from the direction of Marcoh's home as the doctor opened his front door to reveal a familiar, striking figure. Once Al had been placed safely in the sheep carriage with Chester, both Ed and Armstrong took their seats with their Animals and watched the town pass by them as the train left the station, no one was any the wiser as to what was happening to the man who had just gone against his own morals to give the Elrics hope once again.

The rest of the trip was quiet. Ed and Ayala never got more sleep, both still too pumped about the fact they got a proper lead. He kept in contact with Al via Chester and it wasn't long before they pulled into the familiar Resembool station. Once Al and Chester had been removed from the sheep carriage before the owner found them, they headed for Edward's favourite mechanic. Edward and Al were greeted by anyone they came across, which were thankfully few and far between. Ayala and Chester were relishing the open fields and all the trees and taking full advantage of them, racing each other through the long grass or crops. Rockbell's Automail finally came into view and Ed felt both happy and scared for his life. Somewhere in that house, there was a vengeful wrench demon just waiting to get his blood on her wrench. He did spot Granny first, so he was kinda hopeful she'd be able to wrangle the wrath of Winry.

 _"Edward! You're back! And you're hurt! What happened?"_ Den had ran out to meet him and spotted the lack of arm immediately. Granny was walking down to meet them. Ed crouched and ruffled Den's ears.

"I'm good. Perks of being a State Alchemist." Ed joked and Den shot him an unimpressed look but left it alone, trusting Ed's judgement. He moved on to greet the Animals and Al. Ed looked up and saw Pinako. "Yo, Granny!"

"Oh dear, what have you done now?" She sighed, tapping her pipe while her shrewd eyes assessed their favourite customer. Ed chuckled nervously.

"A lot has happened. Can you fix us up?" He asked before remembering there was a third pair to their group. "Oh, this is Major Alex Louise Armstrong and his Animal, Gary." Amrstrong and Gary bowed in greeting.

"I'm Pinako Rockbell." She introduced herself before turning back to the blonde. "I know I haven't seen you in a while, Ed, but you've gone and grown smaller." She smirked as Ed's eye twitched.

"Granny, you've got it wrong. You're supposed to say 'how big you've grown, Ed'." He ground out at the old woman.

"Why would I say something so clearly untrue?" Pinako teased him.

"I'm still taller than you, you mini hag!" Ed shot back just before Ayala nudged him harshly enough to send him stumbling sideways a few steps. Before he could ask her what that was about, he heard a familiar object fly past his head and thud into the ground. A quick look confirmed it was a wrench. "What the fuck, Winry?! Are you trying to kill me?" He glared at the blonde who had now appeared on the balcony her room had. She returned the glare with equal force.

"I thought I told you to call me first when you decided to head back for maintenance!" She yelled back as something climbed up her and settled on her shoulder to peer down at the group.

"Winry! You got your Animal! I knew it!" Al called out excitedly and you would've had to have been blind to miss how brightly she smiled.

"I did! I'll meet you inside so you can meet her!" Ed rolled his eyes. Of course she'd be nicer to Al even if he was in worse shape than Ed. Ayala laughed at him and he ignored her as they headed inside. Ed flopped onto the couch immediately while Gary placed Al next to the couch and against the wall. Winry appeared barely a moment later with a Brown Spider Monkey firmly attached to her shoulders, almost like a backpack. The monkey immediately left Winry and walked up to Ayala and Chester where they were resting between Ed and Al on the ground. While the Animals were meeting each other, Ed handed Winry the bundle that held the remains of his arm. She shot him a nasty look before placing the bundle on the table and unwrapped it so she could see what she needed to do. She gave a cry of despair when she saw the scraps that remained. Her Animal watched her before continuing its investigation of the newest arrivals, starting with Al.

"Yeah, sorry. It's a little smashed up." Ed apologised as he watched the monkey jump when Al spoke to it.

"A little smashed up?! A little?! Do you see what you've done to my beautiful creation? I slaved over this!" Her voice had a tinge of hysterics in it. The monkey headed back for its human to give her a reassuring hug.

"It's basically the same, just in smaller pieces." Ed didn't understand her emotional reaction. Both the blonde and the monkey sent him a glare. She was about to say something when she actually looked at Al and processed what she was seeing for the first.

"Don't tell me. You're a little smashed up too, Al?" She sighed before fixing them with the best glare she could muster. "What kind of trouble have you idiots been getting yourselves into?! All you ever do is worry me!" She exclaimed. Figuring a change in subject was needed before she actually blew a gasket.

"How about you introduce us to your Animal?" Ed asked and the change was immediate. Instead of angry and homicidal, she turned happy and excited.

"Oh! This is Michella! She appeared three months ago, just after Al phoned me to keep me update on you two since he's the only one who knows how to operate a phone apparently." She shot Ed a nasty glare and he shrugged. He had better things to do than call people just to chat. "She's a Brown Spider Monkey and she's unbelievably clever! She's so good with automail. With her help, we've been able to complete orders quicker." The monkey beamed with pride at the compliments.

"That's great, Winry! I'm so glad you got her!" Al exclaimed and Winry grinned at him.

"She definitely suits you." Ed said casually. He'd never been good at guessing what Animal someone might get but a monkey made sense for Winry. They were family-orientated, a lot smarter than they looked and, in the case of females, very maternal. Michella and Winry grinned at each other.

"So, Ed, what happened to your arm?" Granny asked as she shuffled back into the room.

"Long story short? There's someone targeting State Alchemists and I got caught." Ed shrugged, not going into anymore details than that. Pinako and Winry knew better than to push.

"How's your search going?" Granny asked instead as she and Winry gathered things they needed to check Ed over.

"Actually, we just got given an extremely promising lead. There was a State Alchemist who defected before the Ishvalen War ended. He hid his research in Central." Ed told her, trying to keep his excitement reined in but failing. Granny and Winry exchanged looks.

"Alright, I see. In order to get this information you need, you want to go to Central as soon as possible?" Granny asked and Ed smiled apologetically.

"Yeah, this is kinda a rush order." Ed and Al had talked about it on the train. Ed wanted to know what Al wanted to do. He had promised his little brother a week in Resembool but Al said that they couldn't waste any time and should get to Central as soon as they could.

"Hmm, it's not just the arm. Your leg needs adjusting too." Granny hummed as she finished measuring his legs.

"Guess your growth's not stunted after all." Winry couldn't resist teasing him.

"Shut your mouth." Ed snapped back at her. Granny interrupted the soon-to-be fight.

"The leg aside, the shape the arm's in; we'll have to build that by scratch." She thought out loud.

"Is there any chance you can have it done within a week?" Ed asked, hopeful. Granny gave him a look.

"Give us some credit, Ed." She said as she attached the spare prosthetic leg. "Three days. But you'll need to put up with the spare for now." She nodded to the leg as he got to his feet unsteadily and grimaced.

"It's a little difficult to walk on a leg I'm not used to." He admitted as he wobbled a bit, Ayala watching him like a hawk.

"We'll be finished before you get a chance to get used to it." Pinako promised. Winry was off to the side, talking to Michella.

"Three days, huh? Between machining, assembly, connecting and finishing, that's three alnighters." The monkey chattered irritably and Winry smiled. "You're right. With you helping, it should only be late nights." Ed felt a twinge of guilt.

"Sorry for all the trouble." Winry smiled at him.

"Well, you wanna get to Central as soon as possible, right? Than we'll work butts off for you." She gestured to both her and Michella before giving him a slightly evil grin. "But you better believe you're gonna pay a fortune in rush order fees!" Ed nodded. He'd known his bank account was gonna suffer for this. Winry was started murmuring something to Michella as she made her way up the stairs to her workroom. Pinako disappeared to do some chores and Armstrong and Gary followed her, asking if there was anything they could do for her while they were here. Ed looked around and decided now was as good a time as any.

"Al, I'm gonna go visit mum. Will you be alright by yourself?" Al nodded and Ed grinned as he headed out to Granny's garden to raid it for some flowers. Chester joined him and Ayala as they left the garden. "And what are you doing?" Ed asked once he spotted the leopard.

 _"Going with you."_ Chester said it like it was obvious which, granted, it kinda was.

"Why aren't you staying with Al?" Ed asked. He wasn't against Chester going with him but it was unusual that he'd leave Al alone, especially with considering Al couldn't keep himself amused at the moment.

 _"Needed to stretch my legs and I wanted to pay mine and Al's respects. Plus, Al told me to go."_ Chester told him and Ed's curiosity was satisfied. They headed down the familiar path to the cemetary, Ayala carrying the flowers for Ed.

Al was happily sitting in the lounge room where Gary had placed him. He was a bit bored but he was happy being somewhere safe and completely disconnected from the military or their search for the stone. It was nice to be somewhere you didn't have to worry about someone discovering your biggest secret or try to kill you. Well, there was Winry's wrench to worry about but really, that was Ed's problem, not his. If he didn't make it his mission to irritate their childhood friend, he wouldn't end up leaving with bumps on his head. He almost regretted letting Chester go with Ed but he didn't want to deny his Animal a chance to roam while they were somewhere he could and he was touched that Chester wanted to pay his respects to his mum and Cleo. He heard the kitchen door swing open and Armstrong loudly proclaim he had the firewood Granny had asked him to gather.

"Oh, thank you. Place it over there, please." Granny must've indicated where since the next thing Al heard was Armstrong drop the wood onto the ground.

"I haven't seen Edward anywhere around the house for a while." Armstrong observed. Al wondered if the man actually knew how loud he was.

"Yeah. He did say he was going to visit his mother's grave." Al heard the hesitation before Granny continued. "Major, what kind of life do the boys lead?" Al would've rolled his eyes if he had any at the fact that he heard Armstrong's questioning hum. Honestly, did the man know the definition of 'inside voice'? "Aside from Al calling us every few months, we haven't heard from them. Honestly, even those phone calls are only enough to tell us they were alive, Ed hadn't broken his automail and that they were still searching. And we never hear from Ed, just Alphonse." Al's metaphorical heart clenched with guilt. He and Ed had agreed that they wouldn't give them details about their missions because neither boy wanted them to worry about how many times they've gotten into fights. As Ed had put it, knowing they were in dangerous situations was completely different to knowing exactly how dangerous those situations were. So Al had taken to calling when they were stuck researching in between missions, even though he knew it wasn't enough.

"Ed and Al are known for their alchemy, even in high profile places like Central. Sometimes they get into trouble." Armstrong chuckled. "If I'm being honest, they have a knack for it, especially Edward. But don't worry, they're alright. The Elric brothers are strong." Armstrong said, voice full of pride and conviction.

"Strong, huh? I guess you could call them that." Granny's voice wasn't as proud as Armstrong's but it still made Al feel pleased.

"I'm curious, Madam Rockbell. You speak of the boys as though they were your grandsons." Armstrong observed. Granny grunted.

"Of course. They may as well be. I've been watching over them ever since they were born. I'm a friend of the family, you see. Their father was a drinking buddy of mine. One day he just up and left the village with his Animal, abandoning his wife and the boys. Poor Trisha. She never gave up hope he'd be back. I honestly don't even know if he's alive." Granny kept her voice completely neutral so Al couldn't tell what her feelings were towards his father.

"Come to think of it, where are young Winry's parents?" Armstrong asked as though he'd only just realised they weren't here and Al felt a familiar sadness creep up his soul.

"Gone, Major." Granny's voice was filled with sadness. "They were surgeons and they were killed during the Ishvalen War. My son and his wife did what they could to help but there were never enough doctors for all of the injured." Her voice had grown both proud and weary. Al knew she was proud of his aunt and uncle for what they did but she, like all most mothers, wished they hadn't had to sacrifice their lives for it.

"It was terrible, the war." Armstrong's voice had grown quiet, but not in a good way. It was like he was haunted.

"Yes, it was indeed." There was a moments quiet before Granny changed the subject. "Oh look, it's time to get supper started. You look like you eat a lot but don't worry; there's plenty." Al heard her start shuffling around the kitchen.

"Oh no, please don't trouble yourself on my account." Armstrong started protesting and Al could imagine the look Granny had leveled him with.

"Food always tastes better with guests. We also have an empty patient's cot and some spare bedding, if you'd like. Your gorilla is welcome to camp on the couch. The boys always stay here, not that they really have a choice. Two more guests won't be a problem." Granny told him in a 'don't bother arguing' voice. Al didn't hear any protests from Armstrong, not that he expected any. No one argued with Granny if they knew what was good for them. Armstrong didn't question the comment about them having no where to go. Al had told them about how they'd burnt the house down when they came clean about everything after Scar attacked Ed. Gary had had to hold Armstrong back from hugging the life out of Ed for his 'determination and tremendous sacrifice' to do what he'd done.

The front door opening after nearly twenty minutes of listening to Granny preparing dinner and Armstrong offering his help (apparently, the art of cooking has been passed down the Armstrong family for generations) caught Al's attention and he was happy to see Chester, Ayala and his brother head through. Chester immediately claimed his spot next to Al and Ed and Ayala claimed theirs on the couch after Ed called a greeting to Granny to let her know he was back.

"Anything exciting happen on your walk, brother?" Al asked after a moment of quiet to see if Granny had anything to add to her acknowledgement of his arrival.

"I saw Mr and Mrs Pearce on my way to see mum. You remember them, right?" Al wracked his memories.

"Oh, the old couple who used to give us apples in exchange for some tomatoes?" Al vaguely recalled an elderly couple doing that.

"That'd be them. They asked how we were going and what we were up to these days. You know, typical old person stuff. They wanted me to say hello from them so 'hello'." He dutifully passed the message along. Silence past between them again before Al remembered something he'd thought about once they'd left Doctor Marcoh behind.

"Hey, brother?" Ed glanced at him, raising an eyebrow, telling him to continue. "Don't you have to call Colonel Mustang and tell him you're going to Central instead of East City once we're back in one piece?" From the look on Ed's face, Al knew his brother had realised the same thing and planned on doing nothing. Al sighed.

"What? I would've told him. Eventually." Ed tried to convince him. For a suit of armour that couldn't make facial expressions, Al certainly pulled a very good 'thoroughly unconvinced' one.

"You mean, once we were in Central, you would've told Nala to tell the Colonel where we were." Al deadpanned. Ed realised how inconvenient it was to have a brother who knew you so well. When Ed didn't say anything, Al knew he hit the nail on the head. "You have to call him tomorrow and tell him over the phone. Don't use Nala." Al told his brother, who made a face but didn't argue. He knew better. Fortunately for Ed, Granny called them for dinner before Al got the chance to rub in the fact that he won the argument.

Once dinner was over and despite Al's protests, Gary helped move him to the room that had apparently become the brothers room. They could hear Winry still working in her workroom and was reassured she'd get dinner soon by Granny. Ed commandeered the bathroom while Granny showed Armstrong were he could set up camp while he and the boys were staying in her house. Edward headed back for his and Al's room once he finished showering. Ayala had already made herself comfortable on their bed and Chester was curled up on his and Ayala's original beds. Al had obviously stacked them on each other to give Chester double the padding. Even though it was earlier than his usual bed time, on the nights he actually slept, Ed was exhausted. Once he and Ayala had made themselves and 'good nights' were passed between the brothers, Ed was fast asleep.

Ed woke up the next morning, earlier than he usually would've which made sense since he'd gone to sleep earlier than normal. He'd just gotten changed when there was a knock at the door and he gave whoever it was permission to come in. Armstrong entered and Ed frowned in confusion.

"I'm here to help Alphonse go downstairs." He said in answer to Ed's look and Ed nodded.

"No worries. Thanks for your help." Ed stepped back to his bed to give the bigger alchemist more space.

"Yes, thank you for helping me." Al said politely as Armstrong hefted the crate he was in up into his arms. Armstrong waved off the thanks loudly. Ed made to follow them when he heard machinery noises coming from Winry's workshop. Deciding to check on his favourite automail fanatic, he headed to the room. He opened the door and saw her working on his new arm, too busy to have noticed the door swing open. He looked around and saw unfinished orders that had obviously been put on hold for his arm. Michella looked up at him and resumed her work when she realised he didn't want anything. He walked up and peered over Winry's shoulder to watch what she was doing for a moment.

"Look at you, working so early in the morning. You did get some sleep, right?" Ed didn't need her collapsing from exhaustion or making a mistake because she was so tired she couldn't see straight. He knew from experience, it doesn't matter how smart you are. Sleep deprivation will kick your arse.

"Yup. Having Michella really helps. She's been working on your arm with me so I got a few hours sleep." Winry barely glanced at him. He watched for a few more seconds before he left them to it. He headed down and rejoined his brother and their Animals for breakfast before he wasted the day away with whatever books he could get his hand on. He couldn't really do much else with only one hand. He'd nearly finished the book when Al interrupted his reading.

"Brother, when are you planning on calling the Colonel?" Ed looked over to his brother.

"To be completely honest, I totally forgot. What time is it?" Al sighed. Of course he'd forgotten.

"Nearly 10. You should call him." Al pushed the matter. Ed nodded.

"I will. But not until 11." He said with a small grin. Al looked at Chester for a clue but the leopard was less than helpful.

"Why?" Al figured he'd probably be better not knowing but curiosity got the better of him.

"Because that's when Mustang starts trying to hide his paperwork to get out of it and I want Hawkeye to bust him." Ed grinned and Al almost facepalmed.

"Brother, you really shouldn't cause the Colonel problems." Ed looked offended.

"Not my fault he's a lazy bastard." Ed told him and Al sighed.

"Fine. As long as you call him." He decided to give in since it was a way to get Ed to do as he wanted, even if the motives were something Al wasn't happy with. They went back to their reading. Despite the fact that he wanted to get Mustang into trouble, Al still had to remind him to call an hour later. Getting up, he headed over to the phone and dialed Mustangs office number. A few rings later, Hawkeye picked up

"Colonel Mustang's office." She sounded semi-irritated and Ed wondered if Mustang had already been busted.

"Hey, Miss Riza. It's Ed." He heard her give a small, surprised gasp. They weren't expecting to hear from him until he got back to East City, after all.

"Hello, Edward. What can I do for you?" She definitely sounded less irritated and Ed was kinda glad for that.

"Is the Colonel there? I need to tell him something."

"Of course, Ed. I'll put you through. Hold on a moment." She didn't sound mad so Ed hoped she hadn't busted Mustang already and was just irritated by the phone ringing.

"Thanks, Miss Riza." He heard her press a button and there was silence. He waited for nearly a minute, which gave Ed hope his dreams hadn't been dashed, before the phone was picked up.

"Mustang." He sounded like he was sulking so Ed knew Hawkeye had caught him in the act of paperwork-hiding.

"You got caught trying to hide your paperwork, huh?" He heard Mustang groan as soon as he realised who was on the other end of the phone.

"Fullmetal. There's no way you're ringing to tell me you're fixed already."

"Nice change in subject. No, I won't get my arm back for another two days but that's not why I'm ringing."

"So spit it out. I'm busy." Ed rolled his eyes.

"You are now that she caught you." He heard Mustang growl. "Anyway, on our way to Resembool, we ran into an old doctor friend of Armstrong's. He gave us a real lead, Mustang. He gave us permission to look through all of his research. _All_ of his research." Edward really hoped Mustang had gotten the message. From what Armstrong had said, Marcoh and Mustang should know each other.

"This doctor friend, did Armstrong meet him during the civil war?" Mustang inquired and Ed almost sagged with relief. Mustang wasn't as thick as he'd thought.

"Think so." Mustang hummed.

"We might have the same friend. As interesting as that is, why do I care that someone is letting you look through their research?" Mustang certainly sounded irritated, like he had better things to do than listen to his subordinate.

"Because of where that research is located. We gotta go to Central to get it and Al decided you should know where we are and that somehow equaled to me calling you instead of having Ayala pass a message to Nala." Ed wasn't stupid enough to talk about his talents on a more than likely tapped line.

"I see. You do realise you have actual work to be doing for the military, don't you, Fullmetal? You can't just research all the time." Mustang and Ed were falling back to their typical banter now that Mustang had been told about the lead.

"That's rich coming from the man who spends his days figuring out new hiding spots for paperwork. Besides," he ignored Mustang's protest, "if I remember correctly, you'd originally given me two weeks for research and maintenance. By the time I'm fixed, I'll still have four days owed to me. Depending on how well encrypted his notes are, we should only need another two weeks at most." Ed told him. Two weeks and they might have the answers they needed.

"You're lucky. You've still got some leave owed to you and there aren't any pressing missions requiring an alchemist's attention. You have an extra two weeks to use in Central. After that, report back here for your orders." Mustang barely got that out before Ed was speaking over him.

"Okay, thanks, Mustang." He hung up before the Colonel could say anything in response to that. Mustang just placed his phone back in its cradle as picked his pen up before his Lieutenant came back in.

"He gave us two weeks on top of what I've got left once I get my arm back." Ed informed Alphonse and the Animals once he flopped back onto the couch.

"I hope you thanked him." Ed rolled his eyes at his brother.

"'Course I did." It technically wasn't a lie but the thanks probably wouldn't have been up to Al's standards and both Elric's knew it. The day passed the same as the morning had. Ed had debated about checking on Winry's progress but was reminded that the blonde mechanic would probably hit him by Ayala and he decided it wasn't worth the injury. He did see her and Michella at dinner since they'd decided to join them that night. Winry basically shoveled the food down and left to go back in three minutes flat. Michella took a bit more time but she was following her human only a minute later.

Ed found himself back in Winry's workshop the next morning, looking at the progress she'd made. He was honestly surprised at how much the two of them had gotten done.

"Wow, at this rate, you must almost be done!" He exclaimed. Winry didn't bother looking at him.

"Nearly. One more late night and it'll be all done." She commented, eyes watching her work carefully before she checked on Michella's progress. Ed left them to it and went downstairs to get started on another day of reading. Though, he did break the routine by going for a walk with Ayala and Den around the Rockbells land that afternoon. He could see the burnt remains of his childhood home in the distance and he turned away for it, heading back to Granny's as the sun was setting.

He'd barely stepped foot in her workroom the next morning before Winry was ordering him back out, telling him she'd be finished when she finished. He left her to it before he ended up with a wrench shaped bruise on his body somewhere. He sulked his way into the kitchen for breakfast before he finished his book and then eventually joined his brother on the front lawn. Ayala and Chester were already out there, soaking in the sun. Ayala's gold fur looked like gold fire in the sun. His expression must've been more open than he thought because as soon as he sat down, Al was trying to placate him.

"They said it would take three days, right? So give 'em three days." If he could've, Al would've rolled his eyes at his older brother's impatience. Ed collapsed so he laying completely flat on the grass.

"Yeah, I know, I know. It's just whenever I think about that research waiting for us in Central, I get so impatient!" Ed complained, waving his arm in the air to emphasise his point. A window opening above them got their attention, especially when they recognised the blonde hair and grin.

"Here you go, all ready!" Winry called out to Ed and he grinned back. He pumped his fist in the air.

"Fucking yes! I'll be right there!" He shouted back as Winry ducked back into the house and he clambered to his feet. He turned back to Al halfway in his dash to get his limbs back. "As soon as I'm done, I'll be back out to fix you!" He promised.

"Okay, brother!" Al called back. Ayala was quick to follow Ed in, wanting to be next to him when they reconnected the limbs. Chester just shook his head at the blondes eagerness. He may hate the pain and the problems automail causes him but he hated waiting to track down leads more.

Ed was immediately directed to the couch and told to strip down to his tank top and boxers. He did as he was told and used the couple of minutes it took the two women to finish up with his arm and leg to prepare himself for the pain of reconnecting the limbs. Ayala had taken the left side of the couch so that she was right next to Ed but out of the Rockbell women's way. Michella had taken up residency on the right side of his head, balancing on the back of the couch so she was nearest to her human but wasn't in the way. Winry lined his arm up and Granny did the same with his leg.

"Ready?" Pinako asked, making sure before they started. Ed took a deep breath.

"As ready as I can be." He nodded for them to go ahead. Granny started the count down.

"On three. One. Two. Three!" They connected the limbs and Ed couldn't stop a groan of pain from escaping as his nerves connected, feeling like millions of tiny, red-hot knives stabbing him over and over for a tense ten seconds before they calmed down to the familiar dull ache. He sagged in relief when the worst of it past.

"That's the worst part every time, reconnecting the nerves. I can't wait to get my hands on the stone so I can kiss that pain goodbye." He confided, not moving as Winry fiddled with his arm.

"Our biggest source of income. We'll be sad to see you go." Granny said straight-faced and Ed gave her a half-hearted glare before letting out a yelp of pain as Winry tortured him.

"Hold still! Do you want me to do this right or not?" She scolded him before making one last adjustment. Before she'd told Ed his arm was done, Michella had found a bolt she'd missed. Now she was paranoid and was determined to make sure she hadn't missed anything else. Happy with what she'd produced, she jumped up and twirled with Michella clinging to her neck. "It's just so lovely! The smell of the oil! The hum of the ball bearings! The rugged yet amazingly beautiful form created through the anatomical engineering! Ah, how wonderful you are, my lovely automail!" Granny and Den pretty much ignored her. Ayala was slightly concerned for the girl's health. Michella was happily chattering away, agreeing with her human.

"Crazy gearhead." Ed muttered under his breath though not quiet enough since both Michella and Winry shot him a dirty look.

"You'd be lost without us, alchemy freak." Ed and Ayala rolled their eyes, perfectly in sync with one another before Ed gingerly got up and performed some stretches to help his nerves finish adjusting to the re-connection.

"Everything's all done. How's it feel?" Granny asked him as he finished the last of the stretches.

"Yeah, it feels good." He told them, turning to look at them.

"Well, Michella and I agreed to increase the amount of chrome this time so it won't be as prone to rust. The downside to that is it isn't as strong so don't do anything crazy. Hey, listen to me!" She yelled as he took off for the front door but she was too late. Ayala stuck back to offer an apologetic look as her human raced to the front yard, calling out his brother's name. Ayala shot the monkey a quick message to relay to Winry before she followed her human to make sure he didn't hurt himself.

 _"Ayala said she'd pass the warning on to Ed."_ Michella dutifully informed her blonde. Winry rolled her eyes as she headed back up to the workshop to continue work on the orders she'd pushed aside for Ed's arm.

"At least one of them has some sense to listen to me." Michella couldn't help but agree.

Ed had found Armstrong and Gary and enlisted their help to get Al set up with all the broken bits of his armour so it was all in one spot and he was out of the crate. Once he was set up, Ed readied himself to perform the alchemy required.

"So you can fix him right here?" Armstrong asked curiously. Ed nodded.

"Yup, so long as you know the trick to it. You see that seal there?" He gestured to Al's helmet, which the younger boy had lifted, and Armstrong nodded when he spotted it. "That's the medium between Al's soul and the armour. In theory, anyone competent with metal alchemy could fix him but they'd also have to know about his seal and we can't risk that. So I'm the only one who can mend him if he can't do it himself. You ready, Al?" He asked his little brother who nodded enthusiastically.

"More than ready." Ed flashed him a grin before clapping his hands and placing them on Al's armour. The resulting light lasted a tad longer than Armstrong and Gary were used to but once it cleared, it showed Al standing in one piece.

"All done. You're as good as new! Ready to test it out?" Ed asked, challenge in his tone.

"Yeah!" Al accepted it readily. Both boys took off for their familiar sparring grounds, followed by their Animals. Armstrong watched them fight one-on-one then with their Animals after a short break to let Ed catch his breath and get a drink. He had to admit, both boys were phenomenal fighters. He hadn't witnessed them fight against Scar and was amazed to witness Ed's long-distance alchemy with Ayala in person for the first time.

Granny ended up putting a stop to the sparring when it went on past lunch time and neither boy nor Animal noticed. After Ed and the two Animals got something quick to eat, the Elric's went for a walk around the property like Ed had done the previous evening.

"I'm going to miss this place." Al sighed as he took in the view. It was something he'd always commented on when they got a mission that took them to a small rural town. "What's the plan?" He asked Ed who was busy watching Ayala and Chester flit in between trees and the long grass.

"It's time to head to Central and look for Doctor Marcoh's notes. We'll leave tomorrow morning." Ed told him. "I know I promised you a week here-" Al cut him off.

"It's okay, brother. This is the lead we've been waiting for. I can feel it so I don't mind cutting our time here short if it means we get answers sooner." He said completely honest. Ed's shoulders loosened as the guilt he'd been feeling lifted slightly. They sat on the hill until it was nearly time for the sun to set. Only then did they head back for Granny's to get some dinner.

Ed had managed to make it all the way to his room before he collapsed on his bed, not even bothering with the covers. Ayala sighed as she gently pulled the covers up over her human so he didn't wake from the cold. Al had watched this and whispered a goodnight to Ayala before joining the others in the lounge room. Armstrong had retired to his room earlier and Gary was with him, happily giving the Rockbells and youngest Elric some time to talk.

"He's asleep. I guess our sparring match and walk was too much too soon with the new automail." Al told them and Winry chuckled.

"It's almost funny to think someone as small and young as him could be considered a human weapon." Winry commented and Al hummed in agreance.

"Granny, Winry, I just wanted to thank you." He couldn't bring himself to meet their eyes.

"What's this? Why so formal?" Winry asked, a little concerned.

"It's just... you're always welcoming us like we're blood. He won't ever admit it but I know brother feels as grateful as I do." He admitted, looking up to see Winry's eyes glistening.

"Don't you worry, dear. We know he feels the same. He doesn't have to say anything." Granny's voice took on a so rarely used softer tone. Al wished he could've smiled at them.

"Thank you." He really was grateful. Both women waved off his thanks as unnecessary and the subject soon changed until Granny decided she needed sleep and Winry wanted to finish up an order before she went to bed. Al followed both Rockbells up the stairs and bade them goodnight as he entered his and Ed's room with Chester. Sometime while he was downstairs, Ed had turned in his sleep and had curled around Ayala, who was sleeping with her head on his ribs, eyes sleepily opening as she watched him enter before snuggling back into her human as she closed her eyes again.

Ed and Al were up and out of the room earlier than normal, ready to head for Central and get to the library. Granny was in the kitchen with Armstrong, Gary and Den but Winry and Michella were nowhere to be seen.

"She's had a few late nights. She'll be down in time to see you leave though." Granny said in response to Al's inquiry after the blonde girl. Winry, true to Granny's word, made it downstairs just after they'd finished breakfast and making sure they had everyone and everything, Michella sleepily blinking on her shoulder.

"You two had better come back and visit us soon, you hear?" Winry demanded as soon as she came to a stop in front of them.

"Wow, Winry. I think you've set a record for how soon you order us about after you wake up." Ed drawled. Winry refused to look ashamed.

"We'll come back as soon as we can." Al promised. The mechanic accepted the slight compromise. They all headed out of the house and the two women waited on the front porch as the boys and their escort left. Ed suddenly stopped a few metres away.

"Knew I forgot to do something. He exclaimed before turning on his heel to face the house and its perplexed occupants. After a few moments, a surprised squeak from Michella and a smirk from Edward, the group finally left.

"What was that about?" Winry asked, though she wasn't sure if she asking about Ed's behaviour or Michella's.

 _"He spoke to me!"_ The monkey looked at her with wide eyes and Winry realised that in the time she'd had Michella, she'd evidently neglected to tell her about Ed's talents.

"Have fun explaining that." Granny said as she headed back inside with a small smirk of her own.

Al had asked Ed the same question and, even though he was silent, they knew Armstrong was wondering what Ed had done.

"I just realised I never thanked Michella personally for the work she'd done on my arm." Comprehension flowed through Al and Chester and it took a moment but it dawned on Armstrong and Gary what Ed implied.

"How'd she react to that?" Al asked, curious about the monkey.

"She was definitely surprised. I think Winry forgot to tell her what I could do." Ed told him with a smirk. The monkey had uttered a surprised 'you're welcome' on pure reflex before demanding answers from her human. Al chuckled as he imagined Winry answering all Michella's questions, even if he did feel a bit sorry for the blonde.

The rest of the trip to the station wasn't as entertaining but they didn't mind. There was something peaceful about walking through Resembool before most people were even awake. It was so quiet and calm. You honestly felt like you were the only person there. The moment was ruined once they reached the station and Ed went and got their tickets to Central. Armstrong had been told about their change in plans a few hours after Ed called Mustang so he wasn't surprised at the change in destination. They boarded the train half an hour later and grabbed three empty benches.

Ed and Al amused themselves by playing cards or reading and challenging each other with small alchemy tricks throughout the train ride. At some stage, Armstrong joined them until Ed fell asleep, boredom at having been kicked out of the card game when his brother caught him cheating. A total overreaction, if you asked the blonde alchemist. Ayala rolled her eyes and huffed in amusement. They exchanged trains in East City before a stop over in Awrosut to grab some lunch from a place Armstrong knew well. After lunch, they boarded the train and ended up in Central by early morning the next day.

Exhausted, Ed, Al and the Animals were escorted by a still chipper Armstrong to a hotel Hawkeye had apparently had the foresight to book them into. She'd told Ed via Soren and even though he'd already thanked her, Ed was prepared to thank her a million times over once he saw the hotel. It was nothing overly fancy but it was certainly a lot nicer looking than motels he saw down the street. After bidding Armstrong and Gary goodnight and making plans to meet up in the lobby at 8am, the boys and the Animals headed up to the room they were assigned and Ed forced himself to wash the grime of the train ride off before he crawled into bed. It was one of the nicest beds he'd ever had the pleasure of sleeping on and he was out like a light as soon as his head hit the pillow.

The next morning, or more accurately a few hours later, Ed, Ayala, Al and Chester made their way downstairs to meet up with Armstrong and Gary, both of whom looked like they'd gotten a full nights sleep as opposed to the few hours they'd had in reality. After exchanging morning pleasantries, they wasted no more time and headed straight for the First Branch Central Library. Armstrong pointed out random landmarks and Ed paid close attention so they knew the way back to the hotel. The closer they got, the more on edge the Animals got, something that went unnoticed by exactly no one. Even Gary was acting confused and nervous. When they arrived at the library, they realised half the issue. Where once stood a massive building, filled to the seams with books and files, stood the burnt remains and ashes on what remained.

"There's nothing here but ashes! It's all gone!" Ed exclaimed, complete disbelief filling his voice and a strangled noise escaped from Al. Ed never realised how much hope he'd been accumulating since Marcoh told them about this research until he felt it vanish as he looked at the charred ruins. This had been the first lead they'd gotten since the start of their journey that wasn't a rumour, half-cryptic trail that turned out completely unrelated or was a hoax invented to rip off visitors. This had been so real, Ed had almost tasted victory on his lips. And it was all gone now. Shoving his emotions back for the moment, he faced the Animals. "Is this what caused you lot to act all odd?" He asked, hoping it was a 'yes' so they could put it behind them and figure out their next move.

 _"Not quite. I don't know what Gary sensed but Chester and I picked up a familiar feeling we'd both gotten in Liore just before we left. I felt it here in Central, at Central Command, when you took your exam, remember?"_ Ed nodded, confused. They hadn't figured out what that feeling was or what it meant and Ed had almost forgotten about it.

"So, what, you think there's something behind this?" He asked but Ayala shook her head.

 _"No, not really. I don't know? Maybe. The things I'm sensing haven't been identical. The one at Central Command was a lot angrier, I guess? There were two in Liore, both different to Central Command and one of them was here. The feeling's fading so this happened a couple of days ago. That can't a coincidence, Ed. You finding out about Marcoh's research and then the place it was hidden in_ happened _to burn down a couple of days later? There's something happening. I can't describe it but I have a nasty feeling about this and Chester agrees."_ Ed relayed what she told him to the two humans who hadn't heard their conversation and looked back at the remains of the library. Gary silently admitted that all he had sensed was the burnt remains of the library. He hadn't picked up on the wrongness Ayala or Chester claimed to sense and that worried Ed more than he was willing to admit. Just what were his and Al's Animals sensing and why couldn't other Animals sense it? He shook his head. Ayala was right about one thing. It was too strange a coincidence that this library burned to ashes just after they'd been told about the research hidden there.

 **A/N- What's this? An new chapter barely a week after the last chapter was posted? Anyway, this chapter is a bit shorter than what I normally post and I'm sorry about that. I wanted to stop this chapter here, mainly because I didn't want to introduce Brosh or Sheska just yet. I'm still fine tuning what Animals I'm giving them. In case you haven't guessed by the end of this chapter, Ayala and Chester can pick up on the Homunculi because of what they've been through with the human transmutation and knowledge Ed gained. I had toyed with the idea that all Animals could sense them but I realised that would make zero sense since none of the Animals in Central Command had ever commented about Bradley and the feeling Ayala sensed when she first stepped foot on the grounds. Also, a quick heads up, I'm gonna be outta internet service for a week or so. That means I'll get a ton of time to get the next chapter written and hopefully the chapter after started but I won't be able to post them until I've got wifi again. Anywho, thank you to everyone who has read, stuck with and/or reviewed this story! Please let me know what you think of the chapter and especially Winry's Animal! Thanks again!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18-**

Ed was too busy staring at the ruins of the library and worrying over what Ayala had told him to notice the two approaching soldiers. At least until Ayala reacted to them. Al was the next to notice them but Major Armstrong didn't until the black-haired one called out his name.

"Ah, Second-Lieutenant Ross and Sergeant Brosh! To what do we owe the pleasure?" He boomed as they stopped in front of their group. Ed could see two different dog breeds, a dalmatian and a blue heeler, watching from the feet of the two new arrivals.

"You've been ordered to report back to the Command Centre, sir." The woman informed them.

"We'll be taking over the supervision of Edward Elric and his brother, effective immediately." The second soldier, a dirty blonde-haired man with a subdued enthusiastic demeanour, smiled at them.

"Very well. They're yours." Ed stopped watching the new Animals in favour for studying their humans quickly. Ayala was doing the same.

"Seriously? We don't need bodyguards! This is getting old." Ed complained, causing both Ayala and Chester to roll their eyes.

 _"You don't think that maybe it's because you were almost by someone who's still on the loose?"_ Ayala asked sarcastically and Chester snickered. Ed shot him a look that the leopard ignored. Unknown the woman, she echoed what Ayala said albeit a lot nicer.

"Sir, this is for your safety. Scar is still at large though your Commanding Officer is working diligently to find him while Lieutenant Colonel Hughes is here going through reports and leads." She looked about as excited to be following them around as he was about being followed.

"I believe some introductions would be a good idea." Al interrupted before Ed could start an argument about whether they could look after themselves or not.

"An excellent idea, Al!" Armstrong praised. "This is Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, and his brother, Alphonse." He pointed to each boy as he said their name. "Boys, these are Second-Lieutenant Maria Ross," he pointed to the black-haired woman, "and Sergeant Denny Brosh." He pointed to the blonde man. "I leave them in your capable hands. Good luck, boys." Ed dipped his head in thanks while Al voiced it.

"So, did you boys come to check out the ruins?" Brosh asked once Armstrong and Gary were gone.

"No," Ed sighed "there was some research we needed here but now it's all gone." He looked at the charred ruins sadly.

"All might not be lost. There was a woman who was well acquainted with the materials in the first branch. Unfortunately, she wasn't working there anymore." Maria offered and Ed figured it was worth a shot.

"Might as well go talk to her. She might be able to give us something." Ed doubted it. What were the chances that she found the research, read it and remembered enough to give them anything? Maria and Brosh gave a nod.

"Than let's go pay her a visit. Follow us, we already have a car organised." Maria told them and Ed gestured for her to lead the way. It wasn't until they were in the car and being driven to the mystery woman's home that Ed reached his limit with the not-so-subtle stares shot at Al's armour. Even Ayala was starting to get twitchy from it. Thankfully for Ed, Al was the first one to question the soldiers.

"Is something wrong?" Maria and Brosh's faces flickered with the guilt of being caught out.

"Oh, it's nothing." Sure, it was. "Although, if you don't mind me asking, why are you wearing a suit of armour?" Ed and Al exchanged a quick look.

"It's part of his alchemy training." Ed fell back on their go-to excuse whenever someone asked. It was the best excuse to go with when asked by non-alchemists because they generally didn't question though judging from the fact that they were suddenly talking to each other behind their hands, they certainly didn't believe the story. So he decided to change their focus.

"We haven't introduced our Animals yet." That stopped their private chat.

"Oh, right! Well, this is Ajax. He's my Blue Heeler." Brosh ruffled the Blue's ears. The dog lolled his tongue out happily at the affectionate pat.

"And this is Kaia, my Dalmatian." Maria gave the spotted dog a smile. The pretty, slender bitch rubbed her head against her humans knee.

"This is Ayala, my Arctic wolf." Ayala leveled them with a scrutinising look before resting her head back in Ed's lap. Both soldiers looked a little warily at her. Ed felt her smug satisfaction through their bond and mentally rolled his eyes at her though he wasn't gonna say he was dissatisfied she'd gotten that reaction. Both he and Ayala were of the opinion that a installing a need for caution in the first meeting never hurt.

"And this is my Sunda Clouded Leopard, Chester." Al's tinny voice was always filled with pride whenever he introduced Chester to people. After Al'd met Hughes for the first time, Ed had always compared him to how Hughes spoke whenever he talked about Elysia of Gracia. Al had been both happy and offended at the same time, especially after the fourth or fifth conversation about his girls that had lasted for more than an hour. They arrived at their destination only a couple minutes after the conversation.

The woman lived in an apartment complex that looked similar to the dorm building that Ed and Al stayed in sometimes though the doors were more spaced out which meant each apartment was bigger than the dorm rooms. Brosh checked the apartment numbers against the one in his notebook until they found the correct one. A knock on the door and a few seconds for an answer later, Brosh tested the doorknob and it opened. A look was exchanged by the uniformed soldiers and they entered the apartment only to be confronted by towers of books stacked from the floor to the ceiling and covered every surface.

"Oh, wow." Ed's jaw dropped as he took in the true magnitude of what was in front of him. "There's got to be a million of them." He said in amazement.

 _"Edward, close your mouth and help us look for the tenant."_ Ayala chided and Ed snapped his jaw shut as he followed Maria and Denny inside. There was barely enough room between the book piles to accommodate Al's armour.

"Is there really someone living here?" Denny's voice was filled with awe as he looked around while they shuffled through the path left.

"Ms. Sheska? Are you home? Ms. Sheska!" Maria was calling out, both Kaia and Ajax in front of her, sniffing the ground for anything useful. Ed had just passed an opening to his right when a small, fluffy, grey thing launched itself at him. It was pure reflex that made it so he caught it instead of it smashing into his face. The creature was panicking, absolutely frantic and, though Ed was talented, he couldn't speak pure animal.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, relax. Just stop squirming and breathe." Ed ordered, going with his gut that this was Sheska's Spirit Animal. So when it stilled at the fact that he'd spoken telepathically instead of out loud, Ed knew he was right. The Animal, a Chinchilla if he wasn't mistaken, looked at him with wide, black eyes in shock before it remembered why it was panicking.

 _"You have to help her!"_ It squeaked at him. Ed frowned.

"Your human? Where is she? What happened?" He asked, ignoring the looks that Maria and Brosh were shooting at him. Al made a concerned noise from behind him and Ayala was watching the small Animal expectantly.

 _"They fell on her! Over there!"_ It told him, jumping out of Ed's hands before scampering on top of a pile of books. _"She's under here!"_ Just then, Ed and Al heard the muffled voice of a woman.

"Is someone there? Sam? Please help me." Ed and Al burst into action, Maria and Brosh following close behind. Sam had jumped off the book pile and onto Ed's shoulder, too small to actually move the thick books. In no time, they'd successfully rescued the woman, much to Sam's evident relief as he leapt from Ed's shoulder to hers with a joyful squeal. She was a petite woman with a mousy appearance and shoulder length brown hair. She dug around in the books still surrounding her and found a pair of glasses that she put on so she could see them properly.

"Thank you so much! I'm so sorry I caused you trouble! I thought I was going to suffocate under there. Sammy tried so hard to move the books but they were too heavy for him." She gave the Chinchilla a scratch. "But Sammy heard you guys knock on the door and now we're here." She flashed them a blinding, yet shy, smile.

"So you're Sheska?" Ed asked, giving her a smile significantly less blinding but no less friendly.

"Yes?" The woman's nervous demanour showed now.

"And you worked at the library?" He needed to make sure. The woman's whole lit up, eerily similar to how Winry's looked when she spoke about automail.

"Ah, the library. The word itself is so beautiful! I've loved book my whole life, ever since I first learnt to read as a little girl. The job was heaven." She got this starry eyed look on her face and Ed and Al exchanged a nervous look. She wasn't done yet. "But I forgot I was supposed to be working and all I ever did was read, so they fired me. If I never find another job, I'll never be able to help move my mum to a better hospital. She's really sick. But I'm hopeless! The only thing I'm good at is reading! I'll never find another job as long as I live! I'm useless, good for nothing! More pathetic than pond scum!" Sammy made an offended noise and started berating her, from the tone of the noises he made.

"Excuse me?" Edward interrupted whatever lecture Sheska was currently getting. "There was something we needed to ask you. It's kinda why we're here." He was surprised she hadn't actually questioned four strangers being in her home.

"Oh! Yes?" She seemed to have just realised there would be a reason for them to be there.

"Do you remember seeing any research belonging to someone named Tim Marcoh?" Ed asked, almost hopeful that her answer would be 'no'.

"Tim Marcoh. Where do I know that name?" She placed a finger to her chin, tapping it as she thought. "Oh! Yes, of course! I remember now!" She exclaimed suddenly.

"Really?" Ed needed to make sure she was certain.

"Oh, yes. I'm absolutely positive. There were some hand-written notes stuffed into a bookcase where they didn't belong." Ed felt his heart sink.

"The notes really were there after all." Ed looked at Al. "That means they burnt up along with everything else in the library." Ed scrubbed his flesh hand over his face. Damn it.

"Did you want to read them? Is that why you're here?" She looked at them, a little confused about why they were asking about some old notes.

"Yeah." Ed said as he stood up, ready to leave. "But it's too late now. They're nothing but ashes." Ed moved past Al. He just wanted to go back to their hotel room and figure out their next move.

"We're sorry to have bothered you." Al gave Sheska a small bow before turning to go after his brother, Ayala and Chester following him.

"I remember every single thing that was written in them. Would that help at all?" She flicked her eyes between the two brothers.

"What do you mean you remember everything?" Ed asked, spinning back on his heel to look at her. Al did the same but a bit more careful of his surroundings.

"It's just the way I am. I'm able to remember the content of any book I've ever read." The disbelief and hope in Ed's eyes made her come to a decision. "It'll take a while but I could write them out for you, if you'd like?" This time, it was Ed's smile that was blinding.

"Thank you, bookworm! You're our hero!" He exclaimed, causing the brunette to startle.

"You're welcome?" She offered, a little unsure of what else to say. "I can go get started right now!" She scrabbled to her feet, nearly dislodging Sam in the process. She led them to the only room not completely covered with books and grabbed as much paper out of a drawer as she could carry before plonking it on her desk. "Do you have someway for me to contact you?" She asked as she got herself settled. Brosh stepped forward but Ed intervened.

"Just have Sam contact us at least once a day. And don't tell anyone what you're doing for us, okay?" Ed ordered her and she gave a nod before getting to work. "Please remember to contact us, even if she forgets. I have a feeling she's a bit scatterbrained when she's working." He asked Sam telepathically.

 _"Yeah but that's what makes her her. I'll stay in contact, I promise."_ Sam assured him and sat on his human's shoulder to watch her work. They watched for a moment but they left when she never looked back up at them.

"Do you mind me asking what that was about?" Maria asked as they walked down the stairs of the apartment complex. Ed shot the back of her head a confused look.

"What what was about?" He asked once he realised his look wasn't enough since, you know, she couldn't see it.

"Cutting Sergeant Brosh off like that. Using Animals as messengers is frowned upon since we have no way of accurately recording what the Animals say." She stopped to face him.

"Look, I don't want people to know what she is doing for her safety. Having Sam contact me is the best way for us to be kept in the loop without the rest of the military finding out before she's done." Maria and Denny gave each other an unconvinced look and Ed sighed. "Look, call us paranoid but we're not convinced that the library burning down within a week of us finding out that the research that could hold the answer to everything we've been looking is an accident. If we're right and someone's trying to sabotage us, I don't want Sheska being targeted." Ed pushed past them and continued down the stairs, Al and their Animals following close behind.

 _"Are you sure you should have told them about the library?"_ Chester asked as Maria and Brosh followed them. _"I mean, you didn't even tell the rest of Mustang's team everything until nearly two years after you met them."_

"I know but they need to know that we think there's something up if they're stuck babysitting us." Ed may have issues trusting people easily but he wasn't the type to put people in danger knowingly.

 _"Are you going to tell them what the research is about?"_ Ayala asked. Ed thought for a moment before answering.

"No. Not unless I have too." Ayala had figured his answer would be something like that.

"Where to now?" Brosh asked as they exited the building.

"Can't do anything until everything's done. Might as well stay in the hotel room until she's all done." Ed sighed, resigned to the fact that they could be spending a few days doing nothing. If Marcoh was as thorough as he and Al were with their research and experiments, there would be a lot of notes which meant Sheska could be writing for a week.

"Brother, can we go to some bookstores while we're waiting?" Al asked and Ed nodded.

"We can before we go to the hotel. There's that one that you found that's nearby. Do you wanna go there or somewhere else?" Ed asked as they climbed into the car.

"Oh, can we go to that one? It had some really interesting books last time." Al asked enthusiastically.

"I said we could, didn't I?" Ed pointed out as he turned to the driver and gave him the name of the bookshop.

"Thanks, brother." He said as they headed for the bookshop.

"Eh, don't worry about it. I need some new books as well." Ed said dismissively. Once they pulled up in front of the store, the boys were out of the car and in the shop before Maria, Brosh and their Animals could blink. Wondering if this was going to be their life for the foreseeable future, chasing after two teenagers, one of whom had made it clear they didn't want guards, they followed them inside the small store and located their charges down two separate aisles. They split up, Brosh heading for Al and Maria taking on Ed. She stopped at the end of the aisle and watched him from a distance so she didn't disturb him. She did have to question when he put the six books he'd chosen from the section on the ground so Ayala could look at them.

"What are you doing?" She watched Ayala nudge two of the books and Ed put them back on the shelf.

"Getting Ayala's opinion on the books. I only want, like, ten maybe? She helps me narrow down my choices since there are more aisles to investigate and Al will be getting his own. Should keep us entertained for a few days." He shrugged as he grabbed the remaining four before moving onto the next aisle. She didn't bother replying. She had a feeling there was a lot about these boys that would be considered weird. She watched Ayala chose another seven books before they met up with Al and Chester, the former with six books of his own.

"Are you done looking, brother?" Al asked, checking the books Ed had against his own in case they doubled up.

"Yup, let's pay and go to the hotel." Ed headed for the book shop employee as he spoke. The portly woman rang up their purchases and thanked them as they left. It was the biggest sale of the week and they never haggled over the price so she was very happy when they said they'd probably come back.

"Are you two heading back to base once you've dropped us off?" Alphonse asked Maria and Brosh as they headed back for the Elric's hotel room.

"No. We'll be staying with you guys until we're ordered otherwise." Brosh told him, causing Ed to roll his eyes and mutter something unintelligible under his breath.

"But you'll go home tonight right? So you can get some sleep and rest?" Al asked, concern drenching his voice. Neither military officer missed the way that Ed flicked them a concerned and curious look before going back to essentially ignoring them.

"No, we'll be taking a room in the hotel and splitting the night shift with our Animals." Maria used a soothing tone to try and placate the younger Elric. He seemed to accept it. At the very least, he didn't argue or question them anymore about it. They made it back to the hotel with no issues and Maria dismissed the driver once everyone was out. Once they were in the lobby, she and Denny split up again, Denny and Ajax escorting the boys up to their room while Maria and Kaia secured a room of their own. They rejoined them after only a couple of minutes. "We'll be right outside if you need us. Please don't leave without at least letting us know where you're going. If you want food, one of us will escort you."

"Don't worry. We're not going anywhere. For now." Ed told them as he opened the door to his and Al's room and disappeared, along with his wolf and Chester, though to the leopard's credit, he did hesitate.

"I'm sorry about my brother. We won't go anywhere except to eat and we'll find you before we do. Thank you." Al bowed slightly before following his brother, already starting to lecture his brother. "Edward! That was so rude! They're..." His voice was cut off by the door shutting behind him. Maria and Denny sighed as they took up their positions on either side of the door.

"This is gonna be a fun assignment." Maria sighed, sounding entirely unenthused. Kaia nudged her hand onto her head and Maria gave the Dalmatian a scratch. Denny and Ajax had to agree.

"I have a feeling it certainly won't be boring." Brosh commented and Maria grimaced. That's exactly what she feared.

It took Sam five days to contact Ed to tell him Sheska was all done instead of just updating him. During those five days, Ed and Ayala had made it their mission to avoid Maria and Denny when it was their turn to get food, purely for their own amusement. Maria and Denny weren't as amused after the third time they made it all the way to the restaurant Ed wanted food from before one of them caught up. His brother turned traitor and extracted a promise to not do it again from him, knowing full well Ed wouldn't break a promise he made to Al. Ayala was also lectured by Al, something that rarely happened because each time it did, she was reminded why she avoided being lectured by him. He knew how to a lay on a guilt-trip. So Ed's days became boring and repetitive since he had been banned from evading Maria and Brosh. Which was why both soldiers had been slightly startled when Ed threw open his door and took off, followed by Ayala and Chester, leaving his brother to explain that Sheska was finally done.

They got to her apartment a lot slower than Ed would've liked since Maria had him wait for the driver she requested to take them over arrived. The whole ride was strained with nervous anticipation. Ed was visibly trying to not get his hopes up and was exceptionally twitchy the closer they got to her residence. That didn't stop him from being the first person out of the car. Maria asked the driver to wait for them before following everyone up to Sheska's apartment. She let them in straight away and led them back to the little office they'd seen her last in.

"Sorry. I know five days is a long time to wait but there was quite a lot to write down." She gave them a sheepish smile.

"Unbelievable! There are some amazing people in this world!" Al exclaimed as he looked at the hundreds of papers sitting on the desk. Ed was almost afraid to go near them.

"These are really Doctor Marcoh's research notes?" He asked, just needing the extra assurance.

"They sure are!" Sheska told him proudly. "Come and take a look! Written by Tim Marcoh: One Thousand Easy Recipes." She handed him a bundle of papers while Maria and Denny grabbed their own.

"Six cups of rice, one carrot, two onions, salt..." Maria recited, confused. "Oh, great. Does this mean we went through all the trouble of waiting for a cook book?" Kaia didn't look like she had the answers either.

"Miss, which part of this made you think it was an important document?" Denny asked a little bluntly. Sheska and Sam looked upset and confused. She directed her answer to the boy who she'd done this for.

"Is this not what you're looking for? All I did was copy down what I remembered." She bit her bottom lip nervously as Ed scanned through the documents hungrily.

"Wonderful. So this was just a wild goose chase?" Denny muttered to Maria, who shrugged and waited for Edward's reaction.

"Miss Sheska?" He looked up to meet her gaze. "Are you absolutely sure this is a flawless reproduction of the notes?" Sam looked offended at the question but Sheska nodded enthusiastically.

"Oh yes, I'm 100% certain." Edward's face split into a grin, making her relax immensely.

"Then thank you very much! You're absolutely incredible!" He praised, making her blush. He turned to the others. "Alright, let's get this to the Second Branch Library." He ordered, ignoring Maria and Denny's flummoxed looks. Using some thick string Sheska produced when asked, he tied two bundles of paper separately so Ayala and Chester could carry one each. Ajax offered his help and Ed did one up him too with some thanks. He did the same to the rest so they didn't mix up the papers during the move.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. They should have the latest materials there." Al agreed, grabbing massive armful of material.

"Yup, that's right." Ed said as he went to grab his own armful before remembering something. "Oh! Sheska's fee. Lieutenant?" He scribbled something on a loose piece of paper before handing it to Maria, stopping her from picking up some of the paper. "Here. This is my registration number and the pocket watch for ID." He handed over his watch. "Withdraw that amount from my annual research grant and make sure Sheska gets it, okay?" He grabbed half of what was left while Denny got the rest.

"Right. I'll do that right away, sir. I assume I can just take this note down to the State Alchemist Office?" Ed nodded as he headed for the door.

"That oughta do it." He turned around again. "Well, Sheska. You're a lifesaver. Thanks, again. ye!" He left before he heard Maria and Sheska's joint exclamations at the figure he'd written on the note.

Denny was proud of himself. Ajax was proud of his human too. He'd waited until they were at the second branch and had completely set up a workspace for the boys before he questioned their sanity over being excited about some cookbooks. He thought they wanted research notes pertaining to alchemy, not cooking.

"I don't understand. These are cookbooks. What could they possibly have to do with alchemy?" He asked almost as soon as they'd sat down at the table after undoing all of the string. Ajax sat next to him waiting for an answer as well.

"Alchemy is a powerful art. It can be incredibly dangerous if misused. In order to prevent that, alchemic research is almost always encrypted." Ed explained as he paused his reading in favour of looking at Denny. "These may look like cookbooks to you but they're actually incredibly advanced alchemic notes. Only the alchemist who originally wrote them can understand them unless you have the encryption key." He finished explaining.

"If they're so heavily encrypted, then how are you going to able to decipher them?" Denny asked curiously. Ed shot him an amused look.

"It's not going to easy." He admitted, looking at his brother. "We'll need to use all of our alchemic knowledge." Al nodded. They'd only skimmed some of the notes but it was clear that Marcoh's encryption wasn't child's play.

"Wow, sir. That sounds really complicated." Denny didn't envy them. He'd always hated school and this sounded worse. Ed gave him a smirk before diving into the notes properly instead of skimming them.

"Al! There's a section here on green tea." He pointed out as Al looked over his shoulder. Denny was about to leave when he caught Ayala apparently reading some of the notes, an intense look of concentration on the wolf's face. He decided against asking. These last five days had shown him that there were a lot of weird things about these boys and their Animals.

"Green tea? Are you thinking what I am?" Al asked, already moving to the bookshelf.

"Yup. It might be a reference to the green lion of metallurgic alchemy. Do we have a copy available of Flamel's codex or Lambspring's concerning the Philosopher Stone?" Ed asked, not even looking up from his notes.

"Yup, right here." Al told him, pulling the books Ed had listed. He placed them on the table next to Ed.

"Sweet. Now take a look at this." Ed pointed at something. "You see? And here?" Al nodded.

"Yeah, you're right." He spotted something else. "And maybe here, too?" Ed flashed him a smile.

"Great! We've got a place to start." Ayala looked up, locking golden eyes with golden eyes. Chester was just as keen as the others, even pulling a set of papers towards himself to help out. Ed grinned at them all. "Let's do this!" Denny watched them as they read what was in front of them like their lives depended on it. They left them to it and both Ajax and Denny headed outside the room and waited for Maria and Kaia to join them.

Four days later, Ed and Al were still surrounded by the notes Sheska had copied for them as well as all of their own notes, no closer to cracking the encryption key than they were when they got their hands on the notes. They hadn't left the room except for bathroom breaks, Al just walking to the toilet and back with Chester when he needed to go so no one wondered why he hadn't gone. Maria and Denny had taken turns getting them food and Ed had only gone back to the hotel to shower.

"Why does this encryption key have to be so damn hard to figure out!" Ed complained, throwing down his pen and rubbing his face in frustration.

"Brother? Maybe we should just ask Doctor Marcoh about this directly. You could contact Carrie." Al suggested. Even Ayala looked offended at the idea of asking for help.

"No way! That would mean admitting defeat!" Ed sounded scandalised at the very idea. Al wished he could roll his eyes.

"So this is a contest now?" He asked, amused at his brother. Ed went to retort when a familiar brunette was escorted through the door.

"Excuse me?" Sheska interrupted their conversation. All four heads snapped to look at her.

"Miss Sheska? What's up?" Ed asked, a little confused as to why the brunette was there.

"I just wanted to thank you." Ed and Al were slightly confused. Why would she be thanking them? "Thanks to the money you gave me, Edward, I was able to move my mother to a better hospital. I really appreciate it." She gave them a grateful bow.

"Nah, it was no big deal. Really." Ed said, uncomfortable with the gratitude he felt wasn't owed.

"Have you had any luck deciphering it so far?" Sheska asked. She didn't expect the Animals or the boys to look so depressed.

"Not yet. Have you found another job?" Al asked and it was Sheska and Sam's turns to look depressed. Shaking her head, she cleared it of the depressed thoughts.

"No but that's okay. You two made me feel better by having me write all that out for you." She gestured to everything in front of her. "It was nice to know that even a pathetic mess like me can help out sometimes. So thank you for that as well." Both Al and Sam made offended noises.

"You're not a pathetic mess. I think that the kind of dedication you've shown to reading is a talent all on it's own. And besides that, your memory is absolutely incredible! You should have more faith in yourself." Sheska was a blushing mess by the time Al finished talking.

"Thank you, Al." She managed to squeak out.

 _"Tell your brother thanks from me as well."_ Sam asked as he nuzzled Sheska's cheek. Ed passed the message on.

"Yo!" All three pairs of humans and Animals looked up at the newest intrusion only to be confronted with a pissed off fox and enthusiastic bespectacled man.

"Hughes? What're you doing here?" Ed asked, honestly shocked at seeing the man.

 _"He's here because you didn't tell him you were in town and he has no interest in doing his work until he finds out why."_ Leo definitely wasn't happy. Ed flinched guiltily.

"Major Armstrong told me you two were in town. What gives, Ed? I told you to give me a shout the next time you made it to Central." Maes actually pouted.

"Uh, I was busy? Sorry." Ed offered. It had honestly never occurred to him to contact Hughes.

"It's just as well. I've been busy too." Maes sighed, sounding exhausted. "We've had a lot of cases to deal with lately. And we're still working on getting that Tucker-Chimera situation settled." He did not miss the way Ed flinched when he mentioned that. Mentally berating himself, he apologised. "Sorry. I guess that brings up some unpleasant memories. Anyway, as if things weren't bad enough for us already, the First Branch had to burn down in the middle of all this." Ed latched onto the subject offered, still trying to stop the memories of Nina coming up.

"That's been a problem, huh?" Maes gave an exaggerated sigh.

"A big one. All of our case records were stored in the stacks of that location and trying to work without them hasn't been a picnic, let me tell you." He chuckled but stopped when he saw the way Ed and Al were looking at the unfamiliar brunette he literally just noticed. She looked just as confused. "Uh, what's with the looks?"

"Lieutenant-Colonel Hughes, meet Sheska." Ed grinned as he introduced them. "I believe she may be able to help you with your problem." Sheska clued on to what he was suggesting.

"Well, I have read all of the military's case records and I do remember every detail." She offered and Hughes grinned.

"That's all I needed to hear, lady! You're hired! My office pays well so don't worry." Hughes had grabbed her by the arm and started walking her out of the room. She was stumbling to match his pace.

"Wait, you want to hire me?" Sheska asked as Sam held on for dear life and Leo watched this all unfold, very unimpressed with his humans behaviour. Maes nodded and she turned back to the boys. "Thank you so much! I'll have faith, just like you told me! Thank you, thank you!" She called as they disappeared through the door. Leo sighed as he headed out to follow his human.

 _"Thanks, Ed. This will help him out a lot. Hopefully get him to relax."_ Leo sighed. Ed wished him luck and he chuckled as he disappeared.

"She won't be thanking us for long." Ed laughed. "How'd you put it again, Al? 'I think that kind of dedication is a talent all on its own'? Very smooth, little brother, very smooth." He smirked at Al who chuckled at him.

"It's something I always think whenever I see a certain someone I know." He admitted, nudging Ed a bit as his brother grinned.

"Well, in that case," Ed picked up his pen and Ayala stretched before settling back, ready to get back to it, "a certain someone should hurry and get back to work or you're gonna have to come up with a new motivational phrase." Al laughed but followed his brother's lead and got back to work.

Denny was slumped against the wall of the library that separated him from the boys, snoring softly as he slept. Ajax was lying next to him, alert so he could warn his human about any approaching dangers. He shot up as Maria and Kaia headed back from grabbing the boys dinner, immediately waking his human up.

"I'm awake." He snorted as he shot up to a standing position.

"I can see that." Maria sounded amused as she held up the plastic bag containing their dinner and the one that had the boys dinner in it. "Let's go give them some food."

"They've been at this for ten days. I'm impressed that they're still going after all this time." Denny commented and Maria agreed. She honestly would've considered giving up by now, at the very least.

"Fuck this!" A very angry shout came from inside the library and both soldiers rushed inside, needing to make sure their charges were okay. They came to a sudden stop as they took in the scene in front of them. The entire room looked like a tornado had come through and strewn paper and books everywhere. Ink from broken pens splattered some pages and even got on the floor. Ed had his face buried in Ayala's fur and Al had an arm around Chester.

"What did you guys do to this place?" Denny gasped in shock. Ajax and Kaia had left their humans side to nudge at Ed and Al.

"There's no need to get angry because you can't crack it." Maria felt like a school teacher. "There's no need to throw thing." Ed chuckled humurouslessly. Maria and Denny shot him confused and worried looks.

"We did crack it." Al's quiet voice rang in the room.

"What?" Both soldiers asked at the same time. Ed still hadn't moved, not even to remove his face from Ayala's gold fur.

"We cracked the code and decrypted the notes." Al explained and both Denny and Maria looked stunned but happy.

"That's great!" Denny exclaimed. "You finally cracked it! That's good, right?" That caused Ed to finally look at them and the amount of rage in his eyes had them taking a step back.

"There's nothing good about it!" He half-shouted. "It should have been fucking destroyed! Doctor Marcoh was right. This research is evil." His voice had grown soft and that was somehow way worse than when he'd been yelling.

"What's so evil about it?" Denny asked after a minute of silence.

"The main ingredient to make a successful Philosopher's Stone," Ed swallowed hard, "is human life." Maria and Denny stood there like statues. Even Ajax and Kaia had grown still. "In order to manufacture just one Philosopher's Stone, you'd have to make multiple human sacrifices." Ed slowly stood up but his head was still hung and he didn't meet any of their eyes.

"How could the military authorise research into something so horrible?" Denny asked, outraged.

"I can't believe this. It's so awful!" Maria felt disgusted. Kaia and Ajax's expressions reflected the feelings of their humans.

"Do us a favour." Ed finally looked them in the eyes and they could see the desperation. "Don't tell anyone about any of this."

"But, sir-" Denny's protest was cut short.

"Please. Just until I figure this out. Just pretend you never heard any of this." Ed pleaded and they just nodded. The flicker of gratefulness that crossed his eyes was nearly enough to make them okay with their decision.

"How about we take you back to the hotel room? You can have some dinner and you can think about all of this and maybe get some proper sleep." Maria said coaxingly. Ed nodded and they left the room, not even bothering with the mess. The drive back was expectantly subdued. The same with the walk up to the Elric's hotel room. Maria gave Al the food she'd gotten for them and there was a thank you before the boys disappeared behind their door. Maria and Denny stood in the same spot for a few moments before taking up their usual spots on either side of their door.

 _"They worked so hard to decipher those notes and this is what they find out? Talk about a blow."_ Ajax said to Kaia who agreed.

 _"I'm not sure how I'd react if I were in their shoes."_ Kaia lay down at Maria's feet. Ajax mimicked her position next to his own human.

 _"Ed will be alright. So will Al. This was a tough break but they'll get through it. They're strong."_ Ayala told them both. She hadn't heard their conversation considering they'd kept it to themselves but she knew they liked the boys and figured they'd be worried about them. Kaia and Ajax couldn't do much except trust her on that.

Ed and Al had barely sat down when the phone began ringing. Ed stared at it like it was spouting short jokes and made no move to answer it. Right now, he didn't want to talk to anyone about anything. It also didn't help that he had no clue who was on the other end of that phone call. As far as he knew, the only people who knew his room number were the hotel employees, Armstrong, Hughes and the two guarding them. In the end, Al was the one who answered the phone.

"Hello?" Al's curious voice asked. He'd been thinking the same thing as Ed. Not many people knew their number or hotel room. "Oh hello, Colonel Mustang." That got Ed's attention. What the actual fuck? How did Mustang get their hotel room number? Hughes. It had have been. Ed was gonna torch his whole photo collection. "You want to speak to Ed?" Ed shook his head vigorously. "He's in the shower at the moment. Can I give him a message?" Bless his younger brother. Ayala rolled her eyes at him and Ed shot her as silent glare. "Okay, sir. I'll let him know. Have a good night, Colonel." Al said just before he hung up.

"What'd Colonel Bastard want?" Ed asked, sitting himself up.

"Ed, you know you shouldn't call him that." Ed shot him a blank look and Al moved on. He tried and that's what mattered. "He just wanted to remind you that tomorrow is the last day you have allocated for leave and that you're to report in with him by the end of the working day tomorrow." Ed sighed. He should've known.

"Did he mention how he got our number?" Ed asked as he lay back down on the couch.

"No. I'd assume Lieutenant-Colonel Hughes gave him our room number." Ed hummed in agreement. Silence reigned in the room for quite a stretch before it was broken by Alphonse.

"Brother, you really should eat the food Miss Maria got for you." Al said as he eyed up the bags of food growing cold.

"Nah. I don't want food right now." Ed stared up at the ceiling. "Pretty awful, huh?" Al didn't need Ed to give anymore details than that.

"Yeah, it is." He agreed. Ayala and Chester were laying on Ed's bed, watching their humans with sad eyes.

"You know, Al, it's like, we try so hard to grasp the truth but it always slips away." Ed said, reaching up like he was actually trying to grab something. "Now that we've finally caught it, it turns out the truth is too dangerous to hold. I'm starting to think this is god's special way of torturing people who have committed taboos. I wonder if it'll be like this the rest of our lives, Al. You know, there's something I've been meaning to tell you but never did. I guess I was just too afraid too." That had Al sitting up straighter. His brother never admitted he was scared under any circumstances and especially not to him.

"What is it?" Al wasn't entirely certain he wanted to know. He heard Ed inhale, ready to tell him when banging on the door had Ed sitting upright and Ayala and Chester were off the bed and in front of the boys before a familiar, booming voice thundered through the door.

"Elric brothers, I know you're in there! Open up! It's me, Major Alex Louise Armstrong!" As if the introduction was actually necessary.

"What do we do?" Al whispered as the door was almost knocked of its hinges again.

"We ignore him, that's what!" Ed whisper-shouted back but that plan went to hell when the lock gave out on their door and slammed open to reveal Armstrong stooped a bit to come through the door, followed by Gary, who gave the boys a wave, who was then followed by Maria and Denny, both of whom looked guilty. Those guilty looks increased with Armstrong's next statement. "I know what it said, Edward Elric. How tragic! To think that the legend of the Philosopher's Stone was built upon such a terrible secret!" The death glare Ed gave Maria and Denny would have made Truth itself quake where it stood.

"We're really sorry." Maria offered as Denny hid behind her.

"It's really hard to stay quiet when someone like him asks you." Denny offered as an excuse.

 _"They did try really hard to keep quiet."_ Ajax told Ed. The boy sighed and accepted their apologies, much to their relief.

"Imagine the military being behind something like that!" Armstrong continued his dramatics. "Often the truth is more cruel than we bargain for." That sparked something in Ed.

"The truth..." He said thoughtfully.

"What is it, brother?" Al asked, recognising that tone.

"Do you remember what Doctor Marcoh said back at the train station?" He asked, facing Al.

 _"He said to 'look closely, maybe you'll find the truth hidden within the truth', right?"_ Ayala asked, following his train of thought.

"Exactly." He gave Ayala a smile and repeated the words to everyone else. "I didn't have a clue what he was talking about then but now? It's the same with alchemic notes. Sometimes, what you see on the surface is only a portion of the truth. There's still more to find here. There has to be." Ed was pacing now. "Why else would he tell us that?"

"I don't know, brother. Maybe he just meant the notes?" Al wasn't one to be pessimistic but he didn't want Ed's hopes back up. He didn't want to witness it being crushed again.

"Maybe. You're probably right but just work with me here." Ed asked and Al nodded. Ed gave him a brief smile before starting his pacing again. "Okay so we know Marcoh was ordered to research the stone and what he discovered caused him to defect, stealing all his own research and the near-completed stone. He hid his notes in the first branch and someone burned it down, maybe to deter us from finding them." He stopped in his tracks as something occurred to him and faced everyone else. While he'd been pacing, everyone who was military had sat on the couch Ed was previously lying on. Al was still at the table. "Who's to say that the military isn't still researching the stone?" From the looks on everyone's faces, no one else had thought about that.

"If they were, they would need somewhere to do the research." Al pointed out and Ed nodded, turning to the Major.

"Major, if I said to you 'military research', what do you immediately think of?" He asked Armstrong.

"Well, I'd say the military laboratories." He answered almost immediately. He pulled a map out of one of his inner pockets and spread it over the coffee table. "There are currently four operational laboratories in Central that have connections to the government." He point out the four buildings and Ed circled as they went. "We can narrow it down even further. Marcoh worked in the third laboratory." He pointed to a building Ed had circled. "We should start with that one. It's the most suspicious." Ed shook his.

"No, Al and I have been to all of the labs here in the city. None were doing any remarkable research." His eyes scanned the map and saw another building marked as 'laboratory' that Armstrong hadn't mentioned. "Here, what's this one?" He asked pointing to it.

"That was designed to be the fifth laboratory but it currently isn't in use. The building isn't structurally sound so it wasn't cleared for use. Now it's strictly off limits." Armstrong told him and Ed grinned.

"That's where they're researching it." He said confidentaly.

"Huh? How can you be so sure that's it?" Denny was the first one to voice the question. Ed pointed to the building directly next to the fifth laboratory.

"There's a prison right next door." Apparently that wasn't a good enough explanation because Maria, Denny and Armstrong looked a little confused. Ed sighed. "What was the main ingredient for a Philosopher's Stone?"

"You said that it needed human lives." Realisation dawned on Denny and he made a face of horror.

"There'd be plenty of condemned prisoners in the jail. Officially, they would be recorded as executed." Ed nodded as he explained. Maria's face paled.

"They're using the prisoners to make the stone." She looked at Ed like she wanted to throw up.

"Don't look at me like that." Ed scolded. "I don't like this anymore than you do."

"Prisons from other jurisdictions could be used too." Al thought out loud. "I wonder if the government is behind all of this." Ed wasn't sure but that was something to think about later.

"Why do I get a feeling that we're getting involved in something really dangerous here?" Maria asked out loud and Ed gave her a look.

"This is why we told you to pretend like you never heard anything!" Al reminded her and she grinned sheepishly. Armstrong stood up but what got their attention was the way he held himself, his body language screamed seriousness.

"This has the potential of becoming a political nightmare before long." He sighed and looked at Ed. "I'll look into what we've talked about tonight. In the meantime," he turned to Denny and Maria, "speak of this to no one."

"Sir!" They both saluted him and Armstrong turned back to the boys.

"And you, Elric brothers, behave yourselves!" Armstrong didn't by the innocent look Ed was trying to sell. "I know you two boys. You were thinking about sneaking into this building and taking a look around, weren't you? Admit it!" His posture changed and suddenly his clothing was threatening to jump off his body. Gary stood behind him, just as imposing.

"We weren't gonna do anything, we swear!" Al swore as Ed tried to get as far away from Armstrong as he could in case he started sparkling. Armstrong nodded, satisfied with their answer.

"I'll let you know if I discover anything." Armstrong promised when he finally left.

"Thanks, Major, Gary. Please be careful." Ed warned. Armstrong nodded as they left. Maria and Denny escorted Armstrong and Gary down to the lobby for further orders. Ed turned to face his brother and their Animals. "We're going to check that lab out tonight."

"Of course we are." Al sighed. Ed shot him a knowing smile.

 _"Well, I'm all for breaking and entering but how do we get out of here? Our guards won't be leaving us alone anytime soon."_ Chester pointed out. Ed dismissed his concerns.

"I've got an idea for that. Don't worry about it." He grinned at them. "We've just gotta wait for the perfect time." A few minutes later, a knock on the door preceded Denny telling them they were back and Al responded with a thanks. Ed served up dinner and they went about their usual routine. When it was nearly midnight, Ed gave them a look and he and Al grabbed all the blankets they could and got to work creating a makeshift rope.

"Okay, repeat to Al what I'm about to tell you." Ed asked Chester. One of the perks of being able to talk to other Animals directly is it made passing along secret messages easier. "Al's gonna go down first. I'll pull the rope back up and send one Animal down at a time then I'll come down. Got it?" When Al nodded, Ed gave him the go ahead. It took nearly ten minutes to make sure everyone got down quietly and carefully and then it was Ed's turn. After checking the door one more time, he scrambled down the rope before joining the others on the ground. "Let's go."

It took them nearly an hour to get to the fifth laboratory. About halfway there, they stopped being careful about how sneaky they were. They managed to duck down an alley next to the laboratory and peeked around the corner. Seeing no one, Chester went forward and peeked around the corner of the opening before reporting back that there was a guard.

"A guard posted at an unused building. Interesting." Ed mused as Chester rejoined them.

"That is suspicious." Al granted him. "How do we get in?" Ed thought for a moment.

"We could make our own way in?" He suggested but Al shook his head.

"They'd notice the light from the transmutation." He pointed out. Ed sighed before looking up at the high walls topped with barbed wire fence.

"Okay so we'll do this the hard way. Al, give me a boost." Al stuck out his hands and Ed placed a foot in them before Al launched him up and Ed grabbed the edge of the wall with his automail arm, dangling for a moment before hoisting himself up the rest of the way. He knelt precariously as he got the barbed wire to snap before unraveling it down so Al could reach it. After looking around cautiously for any guards walking the perimeter, Ed sat so his legs wer dangling down above Al and the Animals. "Okay, Chester, tell Al to send Ayala up the same way whenever he's ready." Chester nodded and passed along the message. Ayala backed up and waited for Al to get ready before launching at him. He did the same thing he did with Ed and the next thing she knew, she was being caught by Ed and was balancing on the wall in front of him. "Do you think you can jump down by yourself or is it too high?" Ed asked and she looked down. It was high, higher than she was comfortable with but she knew she'd be alright.

 _"I can do it. I'll hide in between the bushes and wall until the rest of you join me."_ She told him and he watched her leap down. He didn't feel any sympathy pain but that didn't mean she didn't hurt two certain limbs.

"You okay?" He asked once she shook off the landing and went to hide to the left of him, behind the bushes like she'd said.

 _"All good down here."_ She told him and he leant back the other way to look down at Al and Chester.

"Okay, Ches. Your turn." He said and the leopard nodded before they repeated the same move, with Chester landing neatly next to Ed before shooting the blonde a smile and following Ayala down the wall and joining her behind the shrubbery. Ed nodded down to Al and he started his climb up using the barbed wire as the rope. Once Al was up, with a bit of help from his brother, they both joined their Animals. They avoided the front door, knowing the guard was nearby and headed for the side door only to discover it was boarded up.

 _"Any attempt to remove those is gonna make too much noise and alchemy will have the same problem as before."_ Ayala pointed out.

"They're not taking any chances, are they?" He sighed before spotting a vent above and to his left. The others followed his line of sight. "Al, you need to wait here." Ed told him as he moved under the vent.

"You'll be fine on your own?" Al asked, not keen on splitting up. Ayala shot him a dirty look, something Al hastened to make right. "I mean, aside from having Ayala with you." He quickly amended as Ed climbed up onto one of his shoulders and popped the vent open.

"Well, that's besides the point. You're too big to follow me through here." Ed commented as he realised a second problem. "And Ayala won't be going with me."

 _"Excuse me?"_

"What?" Both Ayala and Al asked at the same time and Ed looked back down at them.

"She's too big to go through as well. You'll get stuck and I won't be able to turn around to help you." Ed told them both and Ayala scowled at him.

 _"You're not going in there by yourself! I don't have a good feeling about this place."_ She said in a no-nonsense tone and Ed sighed.

"Ayala, we didn't risk Miss Maria's wrath sneaking out to turn back empty handed. I'll be fine by myself." Ed tried reassuring her but she wasn't budging. He didn't want to start an argument but he wasn't turning back now. He was about to tell Ayala to suck it up when Al offered a solution, though he wasn't overly thrilled with it.

"How about Chester goes with you?" Ed looked at him incrediously and he wasn't the only one.

"What?" Ed asked him and Al shifted, causing Ed to grip so he didn't fall from his perch.

"What if you take Chester with you? He's narrow enough to fit through there easily, you won't be by yourself and Chester can keep both me and Ayala up to date with what's happening in there." Al pointed out the pros of this plan before anyone could argue.

 _"Are you sure, Al?"_ Chester asked, feeling his humans reluctance to let him out of his sight in a potentially dangerous situation. Al gave him a silent nod.

"Is that okay with you, Chester and Ayala?" Ed asked, keeping his voice low.

 _"Not as happy if I was the one going with you but given the choices, this is tolerable."_ Ayala said and Chester snorted.

 _"I'm game."_ Chester grinned.

"Okay than. You first, Chester." Ed gestured to the opened vent and the big cat jumped gracefully onto Al's shoulder then climbed into the vent and belly-crawled through. "I'll contact Ayala when we're inside." Were his parting words before he followed the leopard through.

"Be careful, brother."

 _"Be careful, Ed."_

Ayala sat down next to Al, ready to wait for her human to come back. She didn't like being separated from Ed for any length of time but she also knew that Alphonse would be feeling the same as she did. She gave him a light nudge to let him know she understood. He gave her a light pat in return.

"How you going, Ches? We nearly there?" Ed asked as they continued inching their way through the vent.

 _"I'm good. I think I see some light up ahead coming from below."_ Chester said and Ed grinned to himself.

"If there's light, that means the power's on." He said as they kept going.

 _"So?"_ Chester was nearly there. The dim blue light was bright to his eyes.

"So, why would there be power if this building abandoned? This is definitely the right place." That made sense and Chester should've realised that but right now he didn't really care.

 _"I can see the floor of a hallway. The lights aren't very bright. I guess their just so you can see your way around when the lab is shut for the night or something. The floor's are a mess. There's debris everywhere. You wanna go down or are we going back?"_ Chester asked, looking down at what he could see through the vent. He could feel the 'are you serious' question. _"Going down it is."_ Chester knocked the grate loose and leapt down to floor, followed closely by Ed, who landed almost as silently.

"Hey, we're inside. The power's on. We were right. This building is being used for something. We're gonna investigate." Ed told Ayala while Chester told Al pretty much the same thing. Once they'd both been given warnings to be careful, which both rolled their eyes at, they headed forward, Chester using his nose to follow any scent that caught his attention. None of them noticed they were being watched as they made their way down a hallway that caught Chester's attention.

"Ed and Chester are taking a long time." Al's voice broke the deafening silence, making the whisper sound like a shout. Ayala whined in agreement. They hadn't heard from them since they'd told them they were out of the vent. Ayala could tell Ed wasn't in immediate danger and she knew Al could tell the same for Chester but her bad feeling was growing worse, like it had in Liore. That feeling was proven warranted when Al and Ayala were forced to avoid the suit of armour that dropped from the roof of the lab, wielding a set of meat cleavers.

"You move pretty well for your size. If you didn't though, it wouldn't be worth the effort to cut you into itty-bitty pieces." Al decided this dude was insane and Ayala had come to the same conclusion.

"Who are you?" Al asked as he and Ayala faced the armour.

"I'm number 66. Well, that's the name they gave me when I came to work here anyway." The armour's helmet cocked to one side as it considered them, finally pointing one cleaver at them. "I'm gonna cut you both up nice and neat. All you have to do is sit back and scream. Well, in your Animal's case, howl." He pointed the cleaver at Ayala who responded with a snarl. The armour chuckled at her and she used the time to send Ed and Chester a warning they were in trouble.

Ed and Chester had just stepped into the most brightly lit room they'd come across in the whole joint. It was a rounded room with pillars supporting the weight of the top floors. But what really caught their attention was the massive transmutation circle taking up most of the floor. Ed was quick to break the outside circle just in case. He'd learnt that lesson the hard way. Never leave an unknown transmutation circle intact if you plan on entering the circle for a better look. You never know if the alchemist who drew the array is nearby and waiting for a victim to enter it.

"I'm gonna take a stab in the dark here and say this is where their transmutating a Philosopher's Stone." Ed commented to Chester just as Ayala sent through her warning. He and Chester spun just as a voice sounded from behind them.

"Yes, that's correct." A suit of armour appeared behind them. Ed and Chester got into relaxed defensive positions. "I don't know who you are, kid, but you sure figured out a lot just from looking at a transmutation circle." The too-similar tinny voice actually sounded impressed.

"I'm good like that." Ed said as he studied the figure. "Who are you, pal?" All three parties were on high alert as they faced each other, no one making the first move.

"I'm the one in charge of guarding this place from curious brats. For the moment, let's just say my name is number 48. And believe me, I am not your pal. My orders are to dispose of anyone who wanders in here, poking his nose where it doesn't belong. Try not to take it personally, boy." He unsheathed his sword and watched the blonde for his reaction. He was a little surprised when the kid grinned in response to the sword.

"Alright, I won't." Ed clapped his hands and transmutated his arm into his weapon. "And you try not to take it personally when this 'boy' kicks your arse!" Chester growled his own challenge.

"You're an alchemist, are you?" The armour sounded intrigued and a little excited. "Alright, then. Let's see what you've got!" The armour made the first move, slashing at Ed who simply blocked the blow with his automail. The strength behind the blow still sent him back a couple of steps.

"So your whole arm is prosthetic?" Number 48 observed before aiming more blows. "No matter. My sword can pierce steel as well as flesh!" They traded more blows before the armour was forced to defend the kick and Ed used his momentum to flip off the armours arm. The sound his automail leg made as it hit the armour confirmed what both he and Chester knew.

"What's this? I'm gonna go out on a limb and say you're hollow inside." Ed lightly asked as he landed, Chester coming back to his side. The armour laughed.

"You're a perceptive one." He said it almost as a praise and Ed shrugged.

"I can tell from the sound. I spar against someone like you all the time." Ed said as he launched a new attack only for it to be blocked and he gained a small cut to his flesh arm for his trouble. He felt Ayala's concern but he didn't bother reassuring her. She would know it wasn't bad.

"So there are people like me on the outside too, are there? That's surprising." The armour commented as they exchanged more blows, Ed managing to place a gash in his armour which wasn't overly helpful but great for morale.

"Yeah, it makes me sick." Ed gasped out as he received a kick to his automail shoulder. "To think there's more than one idiot in the world who came up with the brilliant fucking idea of bonding a disembodied soul to a suit of armour." Ed was breathing heavily as he stepped back into his familiar fighting stance. Chester had been trying to help but fighting against a suit of armour wasn't easy. He had to give Ed and Ayala points for the fights against Al they'd won. The armour stopped to consider Ed before he returned to his own relaxed fighting stance.

"Maybe I should introduce myself again. 48 was the number I was assigned when I was on death row. Back when I still had a living body, I was better known as 'Slicer'. I was a mass murderer, you see." He said this the way someone would say 'oh, I was a doctor'.

"So you were slated for execution." Ed said, mind running fast. "Tell me something then. This laboratory, are they using condemned prisoners like you to make Philosopher's Stone?"

"That I can't tell you. It isn't my 'area'. They simply recognised my skills, gave me this body and made me a trusting guard dog." He explained almost remoursefully.

"Interesting." Ed decided he might as well try. "I'm sure they also gave you a blood seal too, to serve as a medium between soul and armour?" The armour nodded.

"Yes, I have a blood seal." He removed his helmet to show Ed. "This is it right here. If you destroy this, the fight's yours." He said, placing the helmet back.

"That's awfully considerate of you to show me your weak spot." Ed pointed out as they readied themselves to fight once again.

"I like to give myself a little extra challenge during a fight every now and than." The armour shrugged.

"As long as you're in such a giving mood, why not just let me and him go?" Ed suggested, knowing the answer.

"Nice try, kid. But what kind of mass murderer lets his prey get away so easily?" Ed sighed. He'd figured.

"Okay but before we get back into this, answer me this; where's your Animal? My sparring buddy still has his so where's yours?" Ed asked and he actually saw the armour sag a little.

"Ah, you see, the government locks up your Animal in a separate building. I'm sure you know this already." Ed nodded. It was one of the first things you're told when you learn about Spirit Animals. "Well, what I bet you didn't know is that when you're a convicted criminal with absolutely no chance of parole, someone like myself, the government has your Animal killed. They say it's so the Animal doesn't have to suffer years of confinement like you do but it's really as an extra punishment for the human. After all, you don't die if your Animal does." Ed did not know that and now he really wished he'd never asked. He felt a sympathy blow to his ribs, causing him to gasp in pain which seemed to jump start the armour in front of him. "Enough of this. Let's fight!"

That was the only warning Ed got as Slicer moved back into action. Ed was forced into the defensive as Slicer pushed him. Honestly, he would have to give Al his most heartfelt thanks because he would have been screwed if Chester wasn't there to help him. The leopard honestly couldn't do much in way of disabling Slicer but he could provide Ed with distractions and opportunities to catch his breath. The leopard suffered some minor nicks when he didn't avoid the edge of the sword quick enough. But even with his help, Edward still suffered wounds. The one they were most worried about was a nasty slash to his flesh shoulder. While not his dominant arm, the wound was deep and bleeding heavily. He'd suffered a cut above one of his eyes that was obscuring his vision, which absolutely didn't help with this. He was forced to back flip out of range of one of Slicer's swipes.

"What a cute little monkey!" Slicer taunted as Ed parried another move with his automail blade.

"Don't call me little!" Ed growled as he and Chester launched a new attack together and he was successfully pushed back. Ed was given some breathing space as Chester crouched protectively in front of him.

"It's been too long since i had a prey worth hunting." Slicer commentated as he took in Ed's condition and the area surrounding them. There was blood smeared everywhere and he could see Ed's chest heaving as the boy tried to keep standing despite the exhaustion and blood loss he undoubtedly felt. "But you're tired and wounded now. You won't last much longer. Right about now, my companion should be finishing off the partner and their Animal you left outside." Again, the kids reaction was not what he expected.

"Is this companion of yours strong?" Ed asked between gasping breaths. Talking with broken ribs was torture.

"Yes, he is. Although he isn't as strong as me." Slicer admitted and was intrigued to see the kid and leopard exchange grins. Ed straightened as he spoke.

"In that case, we don't need to worry about him. He's my brother, you see, and he and I have been sparring a long time and I've yet to win a fight against him that didn't include our Animals. And I know the Animal outside is alright because she's mine." Ed grinned as the armour stilled while he absorbed that information. Deciding not to let his opportunity go to waste, Edward and Chester used the armours shock to launch a new attack.

Ayala had just sent the message to Edward and Chester when their attacker announced his presence by jumping from the roof top when the suit of armour launched a series of lightning quick attacks that Alphonse was easily able to deflect and dodge. Ayala hadn't had to step in yet to help, as per Al's request to keep out of it unless she thought she had to step in.

"Damn it!" Number 66 exclaimed, aggravated as Al dodged another blow. "Why can't you just stay still and let me slice you? Your wolf is doing a great job of the staying still part! Why can't you be like the wolf?" He complained and Ayala sent him a threatening growl. Al delivered his own blow, the first one he'd been able to land, while number 66 was busy watching Ayala and the blow echoed with a familiar ring.

"Wait, you're empty?!" Al exchanged a look with Ayala and she shrugged. She had no way of communicating with him except with noises and gestures.

"Ooh, there's a bit of a story behind that. Would you like to hear it? It's a pretty good yarn. You probably already know it though. It all started with a man by the name of Barry." The armour actually stopped moving around and rested one cleaver up behind his head. Al and Ayala took this chance to regroup. Ayala felt a small sting to her left front leg and knew Ed was fighting and had been injured but it was minor and she didn't want to distract him. "Once upon a time, right here in Central, there was a butcher named Barry who loved his work."

"I have a feeling this is gonna be a long story." Al whispered to Ayala, something she grinned at.

"His favourite part was cutting up the meat into little, tiny pieces." He continued, not having noticed his audience's attention waiver momentarily. "But one day, Barry found that cutting up beef and pork wasn't enough anymore. So he took to the street and began cutting up people instead, night after night. In time, of course, Barry was caught, but not before 23 victims had fallen prey to him and his knife. Naturally, after terrorising Central for so long, Barry was sent to the gallows for his wicked deeds. And the world was happily rid of another man. At least, that's what everyone out there believes." He pointed dramatically with his knife over the wall. "But our story isn't over yet. We haven't even reached the good part yet. Barry isn't actually dead, you know. He's very much alive and charged with guarding a certain place, only without his body. Yes, that's right! He's standing right in front of your very eyes! I am the infamous serial killer, Barry the Chopper!" He lifted off his helmet, showing them his empty armour and spread his arms out wide as they blankly stared at him.

"I'm sorry, I've never heard of you. Ayala?" She shook her head. "Sorry, we don't know you. We are from a little town in the East though." He offered apologetically.

"Fine! Even even you didn't know who I was, shouldn't you at least be a little scared? Shouldn't you be going 'AAHHH' or 'what happened to your body?' or something?" Barry whine and stamped at the lack of reaction. He turned to glare at them and saw Al take his helmet off and reveal his own empty armour. "AAAHHH! What happened to your body, you freak?!" He shrieked.

"Hey!" Al protested as he placed his helmet back on. "Now that's impolite." Barry had apparently decided to use Al's distraction to attack and Al was hard pressed to defend himself with his helmet still in his hands. Ayala stepped in and got a blow to her ribs for her trouble but it was enough to let Al push Barry back and cause him to stop.

"Oh, I see. You were on death row as well! You had me startled there." Barry laughed.

"No way! I'm not a criminal." Al protested.

"Than what happened to you?" Barry asked curiously.

"It's kind of a long story. When I lost my body, my brother transmuted my soul and bonded it to this armour." Al gave him the short version.

"Your brother?" Barry started laughing, something that confused the wolf and other armour. "Of course! Your brother!" He continued laughing.

"What's so funny about it?" Al asked, intrigued and worried at the same time. Ayala was just perplexed by the odd behaviour.

"Are you sure you and your brother are related?" Barry asked once he got his chuckles under control. Ayala got distracted by more sympathy pain as Ed suffered a small wound to his head.

"Well, I guess we don't really look alike anymore." Al answered and Ayala rolled her eyes at him.

"No, no, no, that's not what I mean. Are you sure you're not a puppet created and controlled by your so called brother?" That had Al and Ayala's attention. "Were you ever a real person to begin with?"

"How can you ask something like that? I was a real person and my name is Alphonse Elric!" Al cried out and Ayala snarled at Barry.

"How can you be so sure of that?" Barry asked casually.

"I have memories. I remember who I was before this happened." Al said triumphantly. Ayala grinned at him encouragingly before more sympathy pain lanced through her and she started to get more worried about how Ed's fight was going. She could feel his exhaustion building up.

"And who's to say those memories aren't made up?" Barry asked, the same tone of voice as before.

 _"I do, for one!"_ Ayala snapped at him, even though she knew neither suit of armour would hear her.

"But Winry and Granny, they know me." Ayala did not like the tone of voice Al was using, like he was no longer sure. Barry tutted. Ayala was worried about Al but her link with Ed caught her attention again. He felt so tired and the effects of blood loss were starting to catch up on him. She sent him some encouraging feelings but she needed to focus on Al and the mental attack Barry was unleashing on him.

"That's easy! They're in on it too!" Barry declared like it was obvious. "Silly boy! You were never alive to begin with! It's as simple as that!"

"Then how do you know you were alive?" Al asked, his voice growing stronger as he seeked anything to help keep himself from from believing the serial killer.

"Oh I was. Trust me." Barry sounded so sure that Al didn't know what to think.

"This area is off limits!" Both suits of armour and Ayala swung to face the soldier and Animal who had been guarding the front entrance, evidently having just realised there were intruders. "Don't move!" He had his weapon out but, judging from the trembling, the poor bloke had no idea who to aim it at. Barry threw one of his cleavers at the soldier and his Animal, a Great Dane, managed to push him out of the way quick enough that the only injury the man suffered was a deep cut to his right upper arm, causing him to drop his weapon and have his Animal drag him out of harms way. Barry shrugged and turned back to Al and Ayala.

"There! Did you see that?" Barry pointed at where the man had been standing moments before. "There is nothing I love more than chopping people up while they still live. I can't control myself! I kill therefore I am! As long as I know that, it's all I need to prove that I've always been me." He informed Al. Ayala could tell that her humans brother had no idea what to think so she shoved him and hoped he'd get the message she was trying to send.

"Right. Chester. How do you explain that? How do I still have my Spirit Animal if I never existed?" Al asked him and Ayala grinned knowing she'd gotten her message across.

"Well, I, uh-" Barry couldn't think of a lie quick enough before Al was launching his own attacks, pressing Barry into defending himself quicker and quicker.

"Nice try, Barry. Next time, think your con through a little more." Al snarled as he swung a fist at Barry's face. Ayala sent Ed a message telling him to stay alive before she joined Al in fighting Barry, having enough of sitting on the sidelines.

Ed and Slicer were still fighting, despite Ed's injuries and obvious tiredness. Slicer had to admit he was impressed with the fact that Ed was not only still going but that his fighting hadn't suffered in it's intensity or accuracy. The leopard was still helping Ed out which could account for why Ed was still able to stand and fight.

"So your brother is that good, is he? Then I have to hurry up and defeat you so I can get around to taking care of him." Slicer commented casually as he defended himself against another attack. Ed was starting to get desperate. He knew he couldn't keep going like so he decided to try something.

"Go, Al! Do it now!" He shouted, looking over Slicer's shoulder like he was actually looking at someone behind Slicer and he fell for it. Chester used the opportunity the ruse provided and leapt at the armour, effectively knocking the helmet from the rest of the armour causing it to slide across the floor and stop at Ed's feet. The rest of the armour crumpled to the ground.

"That was a dirty trick." The helmet grumbled once Slicer realised what had happened.

"There's no such thing as a dirty trick in a fight." Ed told him as Chester came back to his side. "Good job, Ches." The leopard grinned, pleased with himself.

"What's the matter?" Slicer asked after a few moments where Ed didn't move to finish him off. "You still haven't destroyed the blood seal I so kindly pointed out. Are you going to or not?" Ed shook his head.

"There's something I need to ask you about." Ed reminded him while Chester's tail twitched in anticipation.

"The Philosopher's Stone?" Slicer asked.

"Yes. Tell me everything you know about it." Ed ordered Slicer.

"Sorry, can't." Slicer didn't sound very apologetic.

"Hey, now. We did beat you at your own game so you gotta tell us." Chester's ears flicked back when Slicer chuckled. Ed looked confused.

"That's where you're wrong." The rest of Slicer's armour got up. "I'm not beaten yet." Ed looked at the approaching armour with his mouth open.

"That's impossible." Ed gasped as he and Chester moved out of striking range as the rest of the armour drew level with its helmet.

"I forgot to tell you about this mass-murderer 'Slicer'." The helmet was talking again. "His crimes were really done by a pair of brothers." Ed spotted the blood seal on the inside of the armour's body, similar to Al's.

"An independent head and body? That's a dirty trick!" Ed snapped at him.

"Now, now." Slicer tsked. "Weren't you the one who said there's no such thing as 'dirty' in a fight?" Slicer's body got into a fighting stance.

"Are you ready?" This time, the voice came from the headless armour. "Round two is about to begin, short-stuff." He shot forward with an attack.

"Don't call me short!" Ed yelled as he met the attack head on and the fight was back on. This time, Slicer's body manged to land a blow to Ed's automail wrist and he felt the wrist go limp. It was broken somehow, which meant he couldn't use his blade now. The injury to his automail and loss of his weapon had him momentarily distracted, something the armour took advantage of immediately. He swung his sword, aiming to disembowel Ed, a move he would have been hard pressed to block considering the sword was aimed to cut him open from left to right.

Chester had noticed the moment Ed's automail failed because he let out an almost inaudible gasp as his wrist went limp. He also noticed the move the headless armour was making and the fact that Ed wasn't moving quick enough. Chester did though. He ran at Ed just as Slicer swung and used his full momentum as he leapt to knock Ed to the ground, Ed and him rolling as they landed. He wasn't quick enough for them to both avoid the attack though. The tip of the sword managed to slice through Ed's side and Chester's rump, leaving both of them with deep gashes that were bleeding heavily. Chester wasn't so worried about himself since it was his only major injury but Ed had already lost a lot of blood and this new wound wasn't going to help.

Ed groaned as he picked himself back up, almost immediately after coming to a stop. He was really going to have to thank his brother and buy Chester as much steak as the leopard could eat. That injury would have been so much worse if he hadn't been there. He felt the dulled sympathy pain that told him Chester had also been hurt but he couldn't heal the leopard because as soon as he'd gotten up, he was under attack again. Chester couldn't help him this time. The wound to his flank was severe enough that he couldn't put weight on the injured leg. Ed kept trying to transmute something, anything, but he wasn't being given the chance.

"I don't think so!" The headless armour said as he prevented Ed from transmuting once again. "I'm not gonna give you time to transmute!" He was true to his word. Ed was forced to defend himself as best he could while Slicer's brother kept up his attack.

 _"Ed, watch out!"_ Chester called as he realised the trap Ed had literally walked into but he was too late. Ed's back hit the pillar Slicer had been pushing him towards and Ed's eyes widened as he realised what had happened.

"DIE!" The headless armour shouted as he swung the sword down in a deadly arc.

 _"ED!"_ Chester shouted, trying to heave himself to his feet, knowing he wouldn't be able to get to him in time no matter what he tried. It almost broke his heart seeing how scared Ed looked in that moment. It was almost like seeing him back in that basement the night they tried bringing their mum back, the moment Ed realised they'd screwed up. And then as suddenly as that fear entered his eyes, it was gone as an idea entered Ed's mind.

As quick as he could, he clapped his hands together but instead of trying to transmute something, Ed slammed his flesh hand on the torso of the armour and blue alchemic energy sparked before the mid section and arms of the armour shattered into dozens of pieces with a surprised shout from the soul bonded to the armour. Ed heaved in some breaths as the adrenaline from his near death started wearing off and he flinched when the legs started moving.

"How could you, you damned brat?!" The soul whined as he realised he couldn't do anything.

"You reminded me of someone I don't like and I used his trick against you." Ed said between gasps for breath. The legs wiggled again and Ed scooted away from them.

"He's wiggling, Chester! That's so freaky." He heard Chester laughing at him and Ed shot him a tired yet dirty look.

"Brother!" The torso called out to the helmet.

"As much as I hate to admit it, we lost." The helmet sighed and Ed nudged the legs cautiously.

"So you're not going to tell me you're really three brothers, are you?" Ed asked, eyeing the legs suspiciously.

"No, no." The helmet chuckled and Ed sighed in relief. Ed got to his feet before collapsing as his right leg gave out on him. Gasping in pain, he looked it over and found a deep cut to his calf. He didn't know when he got it but he was certainly feeling it now. Getting back to his feet carefully, he placed all his weight on his left leg and limped forward to Chester before collapsing at his side.

"Fucking hell. I'll give you two points. I haven't gotten this injured in a fight since last time I fought my teacher." Ed groaned as he leant over Chester, a move that aggravated his busted ribs.

"Come on now, boy, you won. Hurry up and destroy us." Ed shot the helmet a confused look.

"I'm not going to murder you." He said as a green glow shone from his flesh hand and Chester squirmed in discomfort as his wounds healed. The cut to his flank took a while because of its severity but eventually it healed as well. Ed felt the exhaustion that came with the healing. It wasn't much but considering how much the fight took out of him, it was enough to be noticeable.

"With bodies like these, are we really even people?" The helmet questioned.

"I consider you people whether you have physical bodies or not." Ed said, wincing as he adjusted to find a sitting position that didn't hurt as much. "If I didn't, that would mean I didn't consider my own brother a person."

Ayala felt Ed's triumph and she grinned, knowing her boy may be severely hurt but at least was alive and out of danger. All he had to do was sit tight and wait for Al and her to wrap this up and wait for them to get to him. With the injuries he had, there was no way he was walking out of there without help. Despite his slip up before, Barry was still trying to play mind games with Al.

"What's the matter, little puppet?" Barry taunted as one of Al's strikes was dodged.

"I told you; I'm not a puppet!" Al yelled, letting his emotions get to him as his fighting became more frantic. Ayala was starting to get worried.

"You keep telling yourself that." Barry sneered. "But how can you know for sure? How can you be certain you were really alive?! There is one way you can prove that you're not just a puppet made from scraps of armour." He told Al conspiratorially.

"Huh?" Al asked, confused about the change of direction in conversation.

"You've got a blood seal too, right?" Al nodded hesitantly. "Go ahead, break it yourself. If you die, you were a real boy all along, just like you want to believe." Ayala hated to admit it but Barry had his mental attacks down to a science.

"No!" Al sounded horrified at the very idea. "There's no way I could ever do that! I'm real. I had a body and I know I'm not some puppet because Chester and Ed wouldn't trick me like that!" Ayala barked her agreement and Al's fighting became more precise.

"Oh, no? Then I guess I'll have to do it for you, won't I?!" Barry yelled and the fight continued with renewed vigour. Ayala sent Ed a silent message to just hang on a little while longer. This fight was gonna last longer than she thought.

Ed smiled when he got Ayala's message. She hadn't been hurt much during Al's fight but he didn't know how the fight was going. He knew Al could handle himself just fine. He said so himself; he'd never won a one-on-one fight against his brother and Slicer said his companion wasn't as good as he was. So he wasn't overly worried but that didn't mean he liked being away from his brother when he was in a dangerous situation.

"I know that my brother is a human being." Ed said once he'd finished responding to Ayala. "That means you guys are human too. I will not take the life of another person." He swore.

"Brother?" The torso of the armour called out.

"My brother and I have lying, stealing, cheating and killing together for as long as we can remember. And now that we are in these pseudo bodies," the helmet chuckled slightly, "we're being treated like humans for the first time. Don't you see the irony? For that, boy, I'll give you a parting gift. I'll tell you everything. I'll tell you who made the Philosopher's Stone and ordered us to guard this place." Ed sat up slightly when Slicer had started talking, eager for the information he'd fought so hard for, when a black thing pierced through Slicer's blood seal and causing Ed to scramble back from shock.

"You see that too, right?" Ed asked Chester rushed to his side to stare at the black spike. Their eyes followed the spike back to its origin and saw it protruding from a woman's hand.

"My, that was a close call." The woman purred as she retracted her fingers. She had a beautiful figure, wearing a long black, strapless dress accessorised with matching black gloves that went almost all the way up to her armpits. She had long, thick, silky hair that fell past her shoulders. She was gorgeous but the way she held herself told everyone she was beyond dangerous and out of their league. She turned cold eyes to the helmet she'd just destroyed. "Number 48, you should know better than to talk about things that don't concern you."

 _"Ed, she smells familiar. She's the one who was Liore and burnt down the first branch. We need to be careful. I can smell someone else here like her."_ Chester warned, hackles going up, making his tail resemble a bottle-brush. That someone appeared from behind the woman and Ed had to do a double-take. He honestly had no clue if the figure was male or female. They were at least a head shorter than the woman, barefoot and wearing a crop top, fingerless gloves that went halfway up their forearm and a skort. Their green hair was long but spiked up behind a headband and Ed had to chuckle. The dude looked like a palm tree.

"Well, well. Would you look at that? What's the Fullmetal pipsqueak doing here?" The voice made Ed believe the second person was male.

"Such a troublesome boy. How did you find out about this place?" The woman sneered at him.

"What? It was supposed to be hard to find? Try a little harder next time." Ed snarked back.

 _"Ed, I really don't think giving them attitude is a good idea."_ Chester warned. Ed was surprised. Chester wasn't normally this cautious or protective. Chester was almost on top of Ed, front and back feet on either side while he curled towards the two threats, leaning against Ed as he snarled his own threats.

"Brother? Brother?" The second Slicer brother called out. "Brother? BROTHER?!" He called panicking when his brother didn't respond. The green haired boy strutted over, snatching Slicer's sword up from where it had fallen as he approached. He barely glanced at Chester as he hissed at him, leaning his body weight painfully against Edward, causing the blonde to shift back to ease the pain.

"Quit your pathetic blubbering, you idiot!" Palm Tree ordered disdainfully. "You were trying to kill one of our most important sacrifices!" He placed the tip of the sword on the blood seal and dragged it over the blood, not quite breaking it so the soul was in constant pain. "Do you understand me? You could have messed up the entire plan! What would we have done then, huh?" He demanded while the soul sobbed from the pain and Ed felt his blood boil.

 _"What does he mean by 'sacrifices'?"_ Chester asked as Palm Tree finally put an end to Slicer's brothers misery. Ed shook his head. He had no clue but he didn't like the sound of it.

"How are you people? What plan are you talking about? What do you mean when you say important sacrifice?" Ed demanded, eyes darting between the woman and boy. Palm Tree laughed at him.

"Aw look. The pipsqueak is demanding answers. I think I've made it angry." The woman smirked at him.

"Don't call me pipsqueak again, Palm Tree." Ed snapped. The woman was amused, the boy; not so much.

 _"Ed, we need to get away from them."_ Chester sounded worried. He knew how badly injured Ed already was and he knew Ed couldn't survive another fight. And he knew Ed knew that too. This wouldn't end well for them.

"Don't call me palm tree, you little runt." Palm Tree snarled.

"Stop calling me short, you overgrown palm-frond." Ed snarled back, this time clapping and sending a wave of spikes racing for the bloke who, much to Ed and Chester's surprise, gracefully back flipped to avoid them.

"Wow, now there's no need to go start a fight here." Palm Tree grinned, something that made Chester uncomfortable. "Someone might get hurt, you know." Chester snarled at the thinly veiled threat. Ed placed a hand on Chester's head to try and calm him. He was sending all this information back up to Ayala. He needed her aware of what was going on and he only hoped Chester was doing the same for Al.

Al and Barry were still fighting. Barry was still taunting Al and Ayala kept reminding Al that what he was saying wasn't true by growling and nudging him whenever she thought he was starting to by into what Barry was saying. Al couldn't keep what Barry was saying from affecting him and it didn't help that the memory of Ed telling him he wanted to tell him something he was too scared to say originally was floating around in his head. These distractions meant his fighting got sloppy again and Barry kept getting more hits in.

"What's the matter, little boy?" Barry questioned. "You got something on your mind?" He taunted as he went to attack Al only for his blow to be intercepted by Ayala knocking his arm aside.

"Shut up! You're wrong!" Al yelled at him, throwing a wild swing that Barry easily dodged.

"Just accept it! You'll feel better." Barry said as he threw his own attack that landed and knocked Al down. He used his cleaver to stop Ayala from coming to his aid. "You're mine now,little puppet!" Barry crowed as he went to lift Al's helmet off and expose his blood seal. A bullet went straight through the hand holding the cleaver on Ayala, startling Barry enough for him to drop his cleaver. Al threw Barry off himself and got up, Ayala coming to stand next to him. Barry turned and revealed Maria, Denny and their Animals, the two humans with their weapons out and the Animals in attack stances.

"Stay right there! Or the next one will put a hole in your head!" Maria ordered, weapon trained right between Barry's eyes.

"This isn't going quite as I planned." Barry commented dryly, staring at Maria and Denny. Before any of them could react, the building shook with an explosion.

"Sergeant, get down now!" Maria yelled back at Brosh, who moved himself and the Animals out of way just in time, a large chunk of the building smashed into the spot they'd just been. Alphonse and Ayala started moving for the entry, only to be stopped by Maria and Kaia. "What are you two doing? Get away from there!" Maria and Kaia were pushing them back, Ayala and Al fighting them.

"But my brother's still inside!" Al yelled as Ayala snapped at Kaia, trying to get her out of her way. The wolf was absolutely frantic and Ajax ended up having to give Kaia back up.

"Ed's in there?" Maria gasped as more of the building came down and they were forced back. No one except Denny paid attention to the other walking suit of armour making a break for it.

Somehow, Palm Tree had managed to separate Chester and Ed from each other and was focused on teaching Ed a lesson about calling him a palm tree. Ed was barely able to defend himself and, even though he'd managed to get in a couple of attacks, he knew this was a losing battle. Ed needed a plan, anything to help him get himself and Chester out of danger before it was too late for either of them. Chester was being kept busy by the woman who was using her nails to prevent the leopard from coming to Ed's aid as Palm Tree added to his list of injuries.

"Listen to me, boy. Don't ever forget this. We're going to let you live. You'll be in pain but you'll be alive because we let you live." The woman told him as she blocked Chester once again. "We can't have him poking around here anymore, it's too dangerous. It'll have to go. Blow it up." Palm Tree nodded and grinned as Ed was forced to block another blow and produced a trigger device.

Ed didn't like the look of that. Even though the woman just said she was leaving them alive, he certainly wasn't going to take their word for it. Ed got a plan. It was a stupid plan and it would more than likely backfire on him but it was all he had and he was gonna roll with it. He told Chester his plan and was not shocked when Chester's response wasn't a positive one but when asked too, the leopard couldn't up with a better plan and reluctantly agreed to go along with Edwards, though he did make sure Ed knew that Chester would never forgive him if they died. With that, Ed put his hapharzardeous plan into motion.

First thing was getting Chester clear from the woman so he had the ability to move freely and help with part two of the plan. Ed was given his opportunity when Palm Tree knocked him to the ground. He clapped his hands an place them on the ground and threw up a wall, effectively blocking the woman from Chester or risk losing her fingers. The angry scowl on her face suggested she was not impressed but Ed was already up and pushing his attacker back. Before either threat could take down the wall, Chester put part two into motion. He rushed Palm Tree and leapt for his throat.

It went down exactly as Ed hoped it would. When Chester leapt, going for Palm Tree's throat, the green haired boy grinned and stepped aside, leaving Ed as the only person Chester could hit since he couldn't adjust himself in midair. Ed was prepared for this however and so was Chester. What Palm Tree hadn't noticed was Ed triggering the device before Chester had lunged and that Chester had his claws retracted when he attacked. Ed caught him just as the first explosions sounded and the leopards momentum had them both falling backwards and rolling. Ed kept a tight grip on Chester and when they came to a stop, Ed managed to catch the shocked and thoroughly murderous look on Palm Tree's face before he clapped and threw up a thick box around himself and Chester just as the building started coming down around them.

When Ed's transmutation was complete, they were thrown into immediate darkness and the only sounds they could hear were their breathing and the noises of the building coming down around them. Chester was curled up against Ed and he could feel the blondes blood seeping into his fur.

 _"Ed?"_ The leopard needed Ed to stay conscious, at least until they were found.

"We didn't die. My plan worked." Ed responded, a grin on his face and Chester laughed.

 _"You got lucky."_ Chester told him as Ed laughed then groaned. _"You should contact Ayala and tell her you're okay."_ He suggested and Ed agreed. He could feel his wolf's panic and he didn't want her to run into a building that was falling down around them.

"Ayala." He felt his wolf immediately calm down as she heard his voice. "I'm okay. Chester and I are both fine but we're still in the lab. I've transmuted a shelter to protect us from the debris but you can probably tell, I'm pretty banged up. Tell me when the building's finished collapsing and I'll figure out something to tell you exactly where I am, okay?"

 _"Edward! I know you're lying through your teeth about how you are. I can feel all of your injuries, remember? I know exactly how hurt you are. The building is still settling and Maria and Denny aren't letting me or Al near it. Al's okay but the armour we were fighting put some ideas into his head that really got to him. I'll tell you as soon as we're allowed near the building. We'll get you out as soon as we can."_ Ayala told him and Ed was relieved to hear she was doing okay. Any injuries she'd suffered were obviously not severe and he could heal them once they'd gotten him out. Actually, that gave him an idea. He could use the healing energy to help them find him and Chester. If he kept the healing as slow as possible, it might give AL enough time to transmute a pathway down to them both.

"Did you contact Al? Something happened during that fight that's got him rattled." Ed asked Chester. He was starting to feel really tired and he needed to stay awake so he could help the others find him. Talking was going to be the best way to do that. He hoped the leopard was in a chatty mood.

 _"Yes. He didn't say much but I could tell. When I asked, he said he wanted to tell me face to face."_ Chester sighed. Whatever that armour had said to his boy had been extremely detrimental and Chester wanted to be up there with him more than ever. _"He was very worried about you. He noticed when Ayala felt the sympathy pain. I told him you were pretty hurt but that you'd be fine once they got you out. He said for me to tell you that he's gonna get us out as soon as he can."_ Ed chuckled.

"Yeah, Ayala said the same thing. Apparently Maria and Denny aren't letting them near the building until they deem it safe. Which I'm actually glad for. You know those two would've gotten themselves hurt or killed to get to us straight away." Ed sighed. It was a bit hypocritical considering he and Chester would've been breaking bones to get to Al and Ayala if their situations were reversed.

 _"Yeah, that's true. Though I wish we were out of here. We really need to talk to Al and you really need to get to a hospital."_ Chester told him and Ed sighed. He wasn't going to argue though. All the adrenaline he was running on was practically out of his system by now and he was starting to feel all the aches from the fight as well as all of his injuries.

"I'm honestly not even gonna argue with a hospital visit right now." Ed chuckled weakly. "Mustang's gonna be so pissed off. At least something good came out of this." He laughed again but Chester was confused.

 _"Why exactly would Mustang be angry about a building falling on top of us?"_ Ed shook his head.

"No, it's not about us being under the fallen building, it's about all the paperwork this is gonna cause him. Can you imagine the look on his face when Hawkeye hands him the paperwork from this building collapse and my hospital visit? He's gonna murder me if the paperwork doesn't kill him first." Ed and Chester had to laugh at the visual they managed to create. "Though, he will be pretty pissed off if he learns I did blow this building up. If I'm lucky, no one will mention that to him."

 _"He won't find out from me. Just blame that Palm Tree guy."_ Chester suggested and Ed told him that that was a good idea. They lapsed into silence, broken only by Chester asking Ed if he was okay and making sure the blonde didn't fall asleep. Chester thought it had been about an hour, hour and a half since they first got trapped when Ayala and Al reached out to them

 _"Ed! Ed!"_ Ayala's voice roused him. _"Ed, we can look for you now. Can you help us out? I know you had a plan."_ Chester was talking to Al, judging from how still he was.

"Yeah. I'm gonna distance heal you. I"m gonna do it real slow so you're gonna feel very uncomfortable but it'll make the green glow last longer. You need to use our connection and get as close to where we are as possible so you don't have to dig as much."

 _"Are you sure that's the best idea? Slow healing and distance healing at the same time? You're gonna be so exhausted."_ Ayala fretted but Ed shot her protests down.

"Ayala, as soon as you find me, I'm probably gonna be unconscious. I'm lucky I stayed awake this long. This'll kill two birds with one stone; I heal you and give you a way to find us." Ed told her and she couldn't bring herself to argue so she agreed to it. Nearly 15 minutes later, Ayala told Ed they were as close as she and Al could figure. Clapping his hands together was a bitch. His left arm had seized up from the injuries he'd gotten then not using them for a long period of time. He transmuted a small hole in the roof of their shelter and was almost blinded from the brightness of the alchemic energy. Dust and small pieces of building debris fell on top of Ed. No light shone through the hole so Ed had to hope that they were practically right on top of them when he activated the healing array. "Ayala, I'm gonna do it now. You ready?"

 _"I am when you are."_ Ayala told him and he took a deep, steadying breath before clapping his hands together and releasing Ayala's healing energy as slow as he could manage it. The green glow was aimed at the newly crafted hole and it reflected off of both his and Chester's eyes and cast them with a soft, eerie, green glow. Ed could sense Ayala's discomfort but she assured him he was fine and that the plan was working. Al was transmuting a path down to them and Maria and Denny were moving what they could. The process continued for nearly five minutes when Ed felt Ayala was almost fully healed. He forced the healing to slow down even more, dragging it out so Al could find them quicker. Ayala's discomfort increased but she soothed his worries, assuring him she could handle it and that Al was making good progress.

Light finally cracked through slightly and Ed finished Ayala's healing all in one go. Chester watched as the light grew steadily stronger as more debris was moved and he managed to catch flashes of Al's alchemic reactions. However, now that he had nothing he needed to stay awake for, Ed was quickly giving in to blood loss and exhaustion. Despite Chester and Ayala's best efforts, Ed couldn't keep awake long enough to be greeted by Al's frantic worry as he got to the bottom the debris pile and found Ed's hastily transmuted cover.

"Chester!" Al called once he spotted his leopard through the fist sized hole Ed had created. "Are you okay? What about Ed? Brother, are you okay?" Al called as he shifted to try and get a different angle to look through.

 _"Ed's unconscious. You gotta get us outta here, Al. He needs a hospital."_ Chester told him and Al grew even more worried. He could only see Ed's black jacket and one of his thighs but he had a good view of Chester. The leopard couldn't stand up, the ceiling of the cover was too low, but he could belly crawl so he was in Al's direct line of sight.

"Okay, I'm gonna get you out. Cover Ed's face and stay over that side of the box. I'll transmute the rest of the top off on this side then you should be ableto get out." Al told him and Chester nodded his understanding. He curled himself around Ed and protected his head before telling Al to go ahead. A flash of light later had the half of the roof Al was standing on disappeared, transmuted into the debris and Al hoped down before transmuting the rest out of the way. Chester stood up and shook the dust out of his fur before rubbing up against Al, purring. Then Al got a proper look at Ed and he couldn't believe the condition his older brother was in.

Ed was covered in blood. Half of his face was smeared with it from a couple of cuts above his eyes and on his cheek, his hair was streaked with it and his black jacket had several cuts in the sleeves and front of it and Al could see the wet patches that indicated blood that had leaked on it and his black tank top. His lower half was in better shape. He had one large gash on his calf that Al could see and there were more tears in his leather pants but they didn't look anything more than scratches. With surprising gentleness, Al picked his brother up bridal style and carefully clambered up the debris with Chester nimbly leaping his way free. The whole area was lit thanks to some lights the injured guard had been able to direct Lieutenant Ross and Sergeant Brosh to while Al was busy transmuting chunks of the building to get to his brother and Animal. Maria and Denny both grabbed Al by one of his arms each and helped pull him the rest of the way out of the debris pile.

"Oh my god." Maria gasped as she took in the extent of Ed's injuries. The boy barely stirred when she gingerly placed her hand on the uninjured side of his face. "We need to get him to a hospital now. Sergeant Brosh, you stay here with Officer Messer. Secure the scene and call it in as a building collapse. Tell them the Elric brothers were here but don't tell them about the fighting. If they ask, tell them Ed was caught in the building but Ayala, Al and Chester were able to make it out in time and get Ed out but he suffered severe injuries in the collapse and I took them to the hospital. Are we clear?" She asked and they both snapped a salute. She lead Al over to the car they'd commandeered to hunt the boys down when they discovered they were missing.

The drive to the hospital was quick in every sense of the word. Al was so worried about Ed that time passed quickly as he consoled Ayala and Chester and Maria drove like a maniac to get Ed to the hospital as quick as possible. She certainly got them there in record time and with a few broken traffic laws. She drove straight to the ER entrance and had the car turned off and Al's door open in a split second. The ER nurse who spotted them first rushed them to bed while more went to fetch the doctor on call and any equipment they needed. A nurse finally had to tell everyone who wasn't medical personnel to leave and wait in the waiting room while they tended to Ed. Even Ayala was told she needed to wait to see Ed until his wounds were cleaned and covered so they didn't get infected.

Three hours they waited. Al, Ayala and Chester watched the clock tick three hours away before the doctor came to update them on Ed's condition. Major Armstrong and Lieutenant-Colonel Hughes joined them nearly an hour before the doctor came out and Sergeant Brosh joined them not long after, having finished up at the scene. Ayala had given up on her worried pacing and was laying at Al's feet, eyes locked in the direction she could sense Ed was in. Maria had considered lecturing Al but decided the kid had enough on his plate right now. Especially after Lieutenant-Colonel Hughes started showing Al pictures of his wife and daughter to try and distract Al from the wait. That hadn't lasted for very long before Ayala had snarled and snapped at him, effectively telling him to shut up, something Hughes did almost immediately. You didn't mess with an angry and stressed Ayala.

"Elric?" The doctor called and looked mildly shocked to see four military officers, a gorilla, wolf, leopard, fox, two different dogs and a suit of armour stand up in response. He got over it pretty quickly though and moved onto business. "Which one of you is Major Elric's next of kin?" Al moved nearer.

"I'm his brother. This is his wolf." He pointed to the worried Ayala and the doctor dipped his head in greeting.

"I'm Doctor Overland. Your brother sustained multiple serious injuries including three broken ribs, a significant cut to his left shoulder, left torso, right calf and his lower right back. They've been stitched and bandaged but he won't be able to use his left arm fully until that wound is healed completely. It'll take about four to six weeks. The rest of his injuries are realtively minor. His head wounds were shallow and he has a concussion. He'll certainly be sore for the next few days from the bruises alone. Right now, he's sedated and asleep. You can go in and see him but I'll ask that you wash his Animal first before she jumps up on the bed with him. The last thing he needs is an infection." The doctor was very clinical and thorough. "He can be released in a week, ten days at most. Also, you'll need to call his automail mechanic. His right wrist is broken and will need repairs. Your brother got very lucky. If any of his wounds had been any deeper or even an inch in a different direction and this would be a different story."

"Thank you, doctor." Al bowed in gratitude. "Can we see him now?" He asked and the doctor eyed them before sighing.

"You may. I'm limiting visitors to two bonded pairs at a time until he wakes up completely. Obviously, his Animal is allowed to stay with him 24/7." Everyone nodded their understanding. "Whoever wants to visit him first, please follow me." Al and Chester were, naturally, one of the bonded pairs to go and the others decided Hughes and Leo should go with them, though Hughes was politely asked to relinquish his photo collection to Lieutenant Ross before he left. He pouted the entire way to Ed's room. That pout disappeared when they first laid eyes on Ed laying on the hospital bed. "Please remember this boy needs as much rest as possible before the sedatives wear off. From what I've been told of his last visit, he doesn't appreciate hospitals or staying in them if he can help it so I'd like it if he got the rest while he can, please." The doctor had a good reason to request that. The first time Ed woke up in Central Hospital and been denied being allowed to leave had resulted some broken hospital equipment and a very scared doctor before Al and Ayala had managed to calm him down.

"Of course, doctor. Thank you." Hughes was the one to thank him this time as Al headed over to sit next to Ed. Doctor Overland told them to let him know if there were any changes before leaving them alone. Al had sat down next to the wall, since he was too big for the chair so Hughes took the chair and sat in between the brothers. For a while, no one really talked or did anything. Ayala wanted to be up next to him but she hadn't been bathed and she wasn't willing to risk him getting an infection from her. Al noticed this problem and immediately offered to give her a bath, something she accepted though she was reluctant to leave Ed's side. Al was quick and had her cleaned and dried within ten minutes of her being away from Ed before she back by his side and able to jump up on the bed with him. He didn't wake up but when she got herself as comfortable as possible, he moved his hand so it rested against her jaw and she leaned into the touch. Leo watched the scene before taking up his chosen spot; directly under Hughes's chair. For a few minutes, all they did was watch Ed sleep. They could see bruises forming on what skin showed and he had a split lip and bruised cheek to add to his list of injuries.

"So, Al, wanna tell me what happened?" Hughes asked, voice soft so as to not wake Ed up. Al shifted slightly, looking at Ayala but she didn't look back at him, too busy watching Ed's chest rising and falling. Hughes noticed the nervous behaviour and decided to give the kid a hand in making up his mind. "I know that that building wasn't empty or collapse because it was unstable. I know there was at least a fight between you and someone else and I'm betting that Ed got in a fight as well, judging from his injuries. I've seen the types of injuries people get when a building collapses on them. Your brothers doesn't match them. So what happened?" Hughes asked once again and Al sighed, tipping his helmet back so it clunked on the wall behind him. Chester shifted next to him before simply draping himself across Al's lap before telling him to just go ahead and tell Hughes.

"Okay. Ed and I discovered some stuff about how to make a real Philosopher's Stone that didn't sit well with us before we remembered something the person who told us about the notes said. So we went looking and discovered that lab five was built but closed for 'structural problems'. It was the perfect place for someone to do illegal research on a Philosopher's Stone because it's main ingredient was right next door, readily available. When we got over the fence, we realised the only entry was a small air vent that led to the inside. Ed was planning on going in alone because Ayala was too wide to fit through the vent but we compromised and Chester went with him. It worked well because I could contact Chester to make sure they were okay and Ed could contact Ayala for the same thing. They were in there for nearly twenty minutes before we were attacked. Chester said they were attacked around the same time. Me and both of our attackers were the same so Ed was already at a disadvantage. Chester said that Ed fought and eventually won but it turned out his attacker was really two and he was forced back into the fight. That's how Ed got most of his injuries, or at least all of his major ones, according to Ches." Al paused as Ed shifted before settling again.

"What else happened?" Hughes pressed lightly.

"Well, mine and Ayala's fight was going as well as could be expected. But Chester said that they won their fight against the second person and were about to get some information that would help us when two new people showed up and killed the first two attackers." Al told him and Hughes looked stunned.

"Two more attackers? So Ed went up against four people today? No wonder the poor kid is so beat up." Hughes looked at the blonde, upset.

"Well, Ches said that he only fought one of the last two. The woman was keeping Ches pretty busy so he couldn't help Ed. Ches said that Ed knew he was tiring and came up with some ridiculously dangerous plan that fortunately for him worked. He threw a wall up to block the woman from the fight and free Ches to help him. He did that by leaping at Ed's attacker like he was going for his throat and the boy got out of the way so Chester crashed into Ed except that's what Ed wanted because as soon as he and Ches rolled clear of him, Ed threw up the protective cover we found them in. Then the building came down around them. Ches said that the person who Ed was fighting triggered the building to blow just after that." There was something in Al's voice that made Hughes curious.

"Al?" The armour looked at him and he used his best 'it's okay' look. "Was there something else bothering you?" Al sagged a little.

"There was something that the second lot of people said before they attacked Ed that's worrying me." Hughes gave him a 'go on' gesture so he did. "Ches said that when they were killing the first attackers, the boy was yelling at them for endangering the life of an important sacrifice. Mr Hughes, I think they want my brother alive until they need him dead." The tone of Al's voice broke Hughes's heart. He placed a comforting hand on the young boys armour and though Al couldn't feel it, he appreciated the gesture.

"It'll be okay, Al. You'll see. Edward will wake up and give me a description and we can hunt these guys down before he gets hurt, okay?" Hughes said soothingly and Al nodded. Ayala whined and nosed Ed's hand. Al and Hughes just sat there in silence, both not knowing quite what to say after that conversation. Hughes watched Ed's IV drip for a while before realising he hadn't done something he should've. He stood up, attracting the attention of the three others. "I need to go make a phone call and rescue my precious photos from Lieutenant Ross. I'll let someone else come in, if they want. Keep you company."

"Okay, Mr Hughes. Thanks." Al said quietly, still focused on watching his brother's breathing. Hughes left him to it, followed closely by Leo. He did go and rescue him pictures and told the others that Al was okay with the rest of them visiting one at a time. Denny and Ajax went this time. Hughes headed for the public payphones in the hospital waiting room and fed the phone before dialing a familiar number. The voice that answered was not a happy one, though to be fair it was rather early.

"Mustang." The voice growled, heavy with sleep.

"Roy!" Hughes responded with far more cheer than his best friend.

"Hughes. Do you know how early it is? What do you want?" Mustang groaned as he tried waking up a bit more so he could deal with Hughes. Honestly, he was certain his best friend rang him at weird hours just to irritate him.

"Yes, I know what time it is. I just thought I'd give you a heads up before you try calling them. The Elric brothers won't be at the hotel for the next week, at least." Hughes got interrupted.

"Well, where are they? Fullmetal knows he has to return to work tomorrow. His requested leave will be over." Mustang said. "If I find out you're helping hide him so he can keep researching-" Maes cut him off.

"No, Roy, listen. Ed and Al found something out. I don't know what because Al wouldn't sat but when they went to hunt down a lead, they got in trouble. From what Chester told Al, Ed went up against three highly skilled fighters. Then the building collapsed with Ed and Chester still inside. Ed's been hospitalised and won't be released for at least a week. He's unconscious right now but he'll be fine. I'm just giving you a heads up before the paperwork hits your desk." Hughes told him quickly and quietly. Something about this whole situation had Hughes on edge. "I'll call you when he's woken up and I've talked to him, tell you what he said. The doctor reckons he should wake up sometime tomorrow afternoon or the day after. I think there's something much more serious going on here, Roy. I need to hear it first hand from Ed but there was something Al said that just gives me a bad feeling."

"No, don't bother. I'll be taking the next train to Central. I want to hear what he has to say first hand. If it's got you this anxious, it has to be something. I'll meet you at the hospital." Mustang was fully awake now. "How badly injured was Fullmetal?" Mustang would've sounded bored, uncaring even, to anyone else but Hughes knew him too well.

"He'll be alright, Roy. Whoever he went up against, at least one of them anyway, was good though. His automail sustained damage so Al's planning on calling his mechanic and getting her out here. He did get a couple of serious injuries though. He's going to be out of commission for at least a month while he recovers. I'm sure the doctors can explain his injuries in more detail when you get here. I'll see you tomorrow, Roy. Have Nala send Leo a message if I'm not here when you turn up." Roy agreed and they hung up. Hughes grinned. Roy could try and hide it all he wanted but Hughes knew that Hawkeye was about to have a very trying day while Roy pretends he isn't worried while Hawkeye organised travel for them. He silently wished her luck and Leo just hoped Mustang wouldn't be admitted with more holes in his body than he should have.

 **A/N - As promised, a new chapter to celebrate me being back somewhere with wi-fi! I want to thank everyone who has left me a review so far, your comments, praises and critiques are always welcome and taken into consideration. I really hope you guys enjoy this new chapter and please let me know what you think. It's the first major change to the way the anime or manga go so I'd really like to know what you think. Thank you again and please enjoy!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19-**

The longer Ed slept, the more relived yet worried Al, Ayala and Chester grew. They knew it was good that Ed was sleeping. It meant that his body was healing a lot quicker but Al just wanted him to wake up so he could hear his voice. He'd been asleep since they'd brought him in and it was nearly sunset the next day. Al had rarely been left alone. Maria and Denny plus their Animals still saw it as their duty to watch over them so they stood guard, one inside the room and one outside, rotating shifts. Hughes had gone back to work, as had Major Armstrong, but he dropped by on his lunch shift and promised to come back after dinner with his girls with new pictures, despite Al saying they would be okay. Ed had briefly woken during the day but the doctors had given him more painkillers and he was out again just as quickly. Ayala hadn't strayed from Ed's side more than strictly necessary and Chester was the same way. Al, with the benefit of not having any need for eating or using the toilet, never left Ed's side except when the doctors had come in to sedate Ed again so he could get an update on Ed's condition and to call Winry, asking her to come down and mend Ed's wrist. She promised to catch the next train up but it wasn't leaving until the next day so it'd take her a couple days to see Ed.

Maria had left to go get Al and the Animals some food when Ed received an unexpected visitor. Ayala and Chester were the first to notice their approach and were watching the door carefully. Since Al was expecting Hughes, he didn't really pay attention until he realised how odd their reactions were to the approach. When he looked up, he was shocked to see Colonel Mustang and Lieutenant Hawkeye talking to Denny and Ajax. Nala and Soren were with them though both were paying more attention to Ed than they were to whatever their humans were talking about. Maria had rejoined them before they came into the room which meant they came in with her when she handed Al the dinner she'd gotten them before giving him a brief smile and leaving them alone. Once she was gone, Al served out the food, ignoring the two officers for the time being. As he'd done for the previous meals, he split his between Ayala and Chester. It was one of the few times Ayala left Ed's literal side for more than a minute.

"How is he?" Colonel Mustang was the first to break the silence once the Animals had been fed. Nala had gone straight to Ed's side and was sitting with Ayala. Soren had perched himself on the foot board or Ed's bed.

"He's gonna be fine. He woke up earlier today but he was in too much pain and the doctors gave him more painkillers." Al told them, knowing his brother might not appreciate Mustang knowing he'd been in pain. "Doctor Overland says he might even wake up properly before the morning." Al added hopefully.

"That's good to hear, Alphonse. How are you?" Hawkeye asked when Mustang made no move to respond.

"I'm doing good." He told her before actually turning to look at them. "If you don't mind me asking, Colonel, why are you here? How did you even know Ed was hurt?" Al asked confused.

"Lieutenant-Colonel Hughes called me this morning to let me know what had happened. He said something was up and he had a bad feeling. Maes be one of the most irritating people in the whole of Amestris but when he says he has a bad feeling, he's usually right. I came down to hear Fullmetal's story from him." Mustang informed him and Al nodded.

"You'll have to wait until he wakes up. I can tell you what Ches told me but he was distracted at some points and missed some of Ed's fights." Al offered but Mustang shook his head.

"Thanks, Alphonse, but this is something Hughes and I need to hear from Fullmetal himself." Mustang said, sighing as he realised he'd have to endure both Hughes and Fullmetal at the same time. He couldn't say he was looking forward to that.

"Okay. Are you going to stay here until he wakes up or go to a hotel? 'Cuz I can have Chester contact Nala or Soren if you'd like." Al offered and Hawkeye looked at Mustang, silently telling him he was the one who had to answer.

"Thank you, Alphonse. We will be staying here for a while. Lieutenant-Colonel Hughes is meeting us here once he has put Elysia to bed." Hawkeye told him and Mustang's face was comically shocked. "I informed Lieutenant-Colonel Hughes of our arrival when our train arrived." She said in response to his expression. Mustang looked like he couldn't believe she'd betray him like that. Alphonse managed a chuckle at his expression.

"I think Mr Hughes managed to commandeer some chairs and put them outside brother's room." Al told them helpfully while Mustang sulked. Hawkeye thanked him before leaving Ed's room, followed closely by Mustang. Nala and Soren followed their humans but they did so a little reluctantly. While they wanted to stay, they didn't want to impose.

Al heard Hughes arrive about an hour after Mustang and Hawkeye went to wait outside the room. He couldn't hear the rest of their conversation, it having turned hushed once they greeted each other. He was grateful for that. When Hughes greeted Mustang in his usual fashion, it had caused Ed to stir but he didn't wake. Al could see Maria and Denny still standing guard outside the door, both being outside once Mustang had turned up, as per military regulations. Ayala kept watching Ed, waiting for signs he was going to wake up. She sensed that it would happen sooner rather than later and she hoped it'd be really soon.

She got her wish nearly half an hour later when Ed's eyes opened. At first, his eyes were unfocused and confused before his eyes found hers and relief spread through those golden eyes. Then his brain caught up with reality and realised he was in a hospital; the place he hated almost above all others. But, much to Ayala's surprise, he didn't react how he normally did and try to escape as quickly as he could. Though he did do what he always did when he spotted an IV in his arm; he took it out. A nurse in East City had realised that Ed would always take the IV needle out once he realised it was in no matter what anyone said so she taught him how to properly remove it so he didn't hurt himself further. That movement was what finally caught Al and Chester's attention and both of them were at his side as Ed made to sit up.

"Brother! You're awake! What are you doing? Stop moving! You'll hurt yourself even more." Al went from happy and relieved to exasperated and annoyed in a matter of seconds, trying to stop Ed from sitting up and risking opening his wounds up. Alphonse's shout had grabbed the attention of everyone outside the room and they'd all come rushing in. Al had given up stopping Ed from sitting up and was now helping instead. Once he was fully sitting, Ayala demanded his attention, something he gave willingly. He wrapped his arms around her neck as best he could and she leaned into him as best she could, both just happy for the contact. After a few seconds, Ed remembered something and pulled himself sharply away from Ayala, wincing at what the sudden movement did to his body.

"Chester?" The leopard placed his front paws up on the side of the bed, bringing himself to near eye level with Ed. "You're okay?"

 _"Completely fine. How are you feeling?"_ Ed sighed in relief before giving the leopard a smirk.

"I dunno what all this fuss is about. It's not like a building came down on me or anything." Ed grinned before realising there were a lot more people than there should've been. His eyes landed on the three soldiers. "What the fuck?" He said before he could stop himself.

"Brother!" Alphonse scolded and Ed winced.

"Sorry, Miss Riza." He said before lowering his voice. "Did I get transferred to East Hospital while I was out or something? Why's Colonel Bastard here?" Ed hissed at Al while Hughes smirked from behind Mustang and Hawkeye.

"We're still in Central. Colonel Mustang," he emphasised his name and Ed rolled his eyes, "and Lieutenant Hawkeye are here because they wanted to hear what you had to say." Al told him.

"About what? The research notes?" Ed asked, a little confused. "I coulda told them about that when I got back to East City."

"No, Ed." Hughes stepped forward and sat on the edge of his bed, making Ed look at him. "Well, knowing what you found out from those notes would be good but I told Mustang you'd gotten hurt and that there was something bigger going on. That's why they're here. We want to hear about what happened in the lab." He explained and understanding crossed Ed's face.

"Well, if you want me to talk, I need some food. Like, real food, not the stuff hospitals call food." Hughes grinned at him.

"I think we can handle that. How about Sergeant Denny goes and gets you something and you talk while we wait?" Hughes compromised, amusement in his voice.

"You drive a hard bargain but I accept your deal." Ed nodded, mouth threatening to curl up into a grin. Hughes chuckled and called Denny into the room.

"Would you mind going out and getting Ed something to eat please? And find his doctor on your way out, let him know Ed's awake." Ed groaned at that last part, causing Denny and Maes to grin at his expense.

"Is that really necessary?" Ed muttered and Ayala gave him a look that told him was. "Fine." He grumbled at his wolf before sitting back on his pillows.

 _"Glad to see you're awake, Ed."_ Ajax told him before he followed Denny out and Ed sent him a thank you. Nala had enough of waiting her turn and mimicked Chester's earlier position but on Ed's other side.

"Hey, Nala." Ed greeted the lioness, giving her a soft smile and small scratch behind the ears. His doctor arriving prevented anyone else from saying anything. Everyone except Ayala, Al and Chester were asked to leave while the doctor gave Ed a check up. After the normal questions about how he was feeling, how much pain he was in, the doctor moved on to the first thing he spotted when he came into the room.

"I see you've taken the liberty of removing your IV drip." Doctor Overland commented dryly, raising an eyebrow. "At least you didn't yank it out." He sighed.

"I got taught how to do that. Don't bother putting one back in. I'll just take it back out." Ed warned him.

"You'll want the painkillers." The doctor warned.

"I'll take them in tablet form, thanks." Ed told him and Doctor Overland sighed.

"Fine. You'll need to keep your fluid intake up as well. Like I told your brother, your shoulder will take at least a month to heal. Until it does, you cannot take on any new missions. I'll be talking to your commanding officer. I believe that's him outside, yes?"

"Yeah, the one with black hair and lioness." Ed told him as the doctor looked up to put a face with the description.

"You'll be in hospital for at least a week. I'll see how you're healing up at that time and we'll go from there. I'm not sure if you've noticed yet but your automail wrist is broken. I believe your brother has called your mechanic." Al nodded when the doctor glanced at him and Ed paled slightly. Doctor Overland paid no attention to it. "I'll check on you again in the morning."

"Thank you, doctor." Al gave him a small bow and the doctor nodded in response. Ed gave him his own thanks before he left. They watched Doctor Overland speak to Mustang for a few moments before Ed turned to Al.

"You called Winry?" He asked and Al nodded. "Did she sound mad?"

"No, she sounded worried. She'll be here tomorrow night if her train doesn't come in too late. If it does, she'll be here the next morning." Al said, knowing what his brother was about to ask.

"So, on a scale of 1-10, how likely is she to murder me?" Ed wanted to know what the probability of his life span was. Ayala snorted at his fear.

 _"Don't worry, Ed. I'll protect you from the wrench-wielding witch."_ Ayala promised and, even though he knew she was kinda joking, Ed still gave her a thankful grin.

"I think you'll live. You might even get out of a beating for breaking her precious automail, in record time I might add, when she sees how injured you already are." Al said positively and Chester nodded in agreement.

"You may have a point." Ed said as he looked himself over. "I wonder if we can convince the doctor to talk to her first. Maybe he can persuade her that a wrench to the brain isn't an effective healing treatment." Ed cracked a smile as he listened to his brother and their Animals laughter. It was short lived when the three officers outside were let back in. Maria stayed outside the door with Kaia but she did give Ed a smile that he returned.

"Alright, Fullmetal. Doctor Overland gave us a rundown of your injuries and his medical orders. Now it's your turn. Start with what you discovered from those notes and go from there. Don't leave anything out." Mustang ordered.

"You better get comfortable then. It's a bit of a long report." Ed suggested as he got himself comfortable. Maes grabbed the chair next to Ed, leaving Mustang and Hawkeye to get their own, something Mustang shot him a dirty look for. Hughes just grinned back at him and Ed couldn't hide his smirk quick enough. With seating arangments sorted, Ed made himself as comfortable, wincing as his ribs protested the movement, and started talking.

"We cracked the notes Doctor Marcoh lead us too. Turns out the main ingredient for a Philosopher's Stone is multiple human sacrifices." There were three audible gasps but Ed ignored them. "Which means that unless we can find another way to make them, we have to figure out another way to get our bodies back." He sighed, rubbing his face, already exhausted by the thought.

"You said that Doctor Marcoh did the research?" Maes asked and Ed nodded.

"Yeah, Al, Armstrong and I ran into him. He gave me the location of the notes. They were in the first branch that caught fire while we were still in Resembool. We think it was a deliberate attempt to stop us from finding those notes." Mustang interrupted with a snort.

"You think someone burnt the first branch down to stop you from finding Doctor Marcoh's notes?" He asked, clearly thinking Ed was being a bit over dramatic.

"No. I know they did. Chester and Ayala picked up a scent they recognised from Liore at the library. That scent was enough to put them on edge. They said it smelled wrong. The woman who burned down the library was one of the ones who attacked me but I'll get back to that soon." Ed told him icily. Hawkeye leveled him with a warning look and he took the hint, settling back into his chair and kept his mouth shut.

"So our military knew about Marcoh's research and they ordered him to keep going with it? That's why he left and took all of his research." Hughes couldn't quite believe it. He knew the military wasn't perfect but this was more than he'd expected.

"Yeah. Anyway, we figured out that the military had five labs built but only four were being used. Lab five was conveniently labelled structurally unsound and located right next to a prison." Mustang realised exactly what Ed had meant.

"Perfect for making a Philosopher's Stone. All that space, the main ingredient right next door. No one would question the bodies of people given the death sentence disappearing." Mustang spelt it out for the two non-alchemist and even Hawkeye's professional mask slipped as she realised what Mustang had said.

"Exactly. So, naturally, Al, Ayala, Chester and I went to investigate." Ed said.

"You mean, after you disobeyed orders to stay away from that laboratory?" Mustang asked, brow raised.

"That's besides the point." Ed waved off the question. "When we got past the guard, I realised that the only way in was through an air vent. Al was way too big and Ayala was too broad so Al suggested that Chester went with me. I don't really know what happened to Al and Ayala once we got inside but I know they were attacked." Ed told them and Hughes spoke.

"That's okay. Al can tell us what happened to him next, okay?" He offered. Ed nodded and continued.

"Ches and I found the room they were using to make th stone. I saw the array but I didn't see all of the details. We were confronted by someone like Al. Someone making the stones decided bonding the soul of a prisoner used as a sacrifice to a suit of armour was a good idea. Anyway, we fought. I won but turns out he had a trick up his sleeve. Turned out I was fighting Slicer." Ed saw recognition flicker through everyone eyes except Al's.

"As in the Slicer brothers? A pair of brothers who were serial killer terrorising Central." Hughes asked and Ed nodded.

"That'd be them. So the suit of armour had two souls bonded to it. One was bonded to the helmet and one was bonded in the same place as Al. So when I knocked the one on the helmet off, I was attacked by the rest of the armour. I barely won that fight. I ended up using Scar's trick against the armour. They were going to tell me everything that was going on in that place when two more people turned up." Ed said before shaking his head. "To be honest, I don't think they're human." He admitted. It was something he'd come to the conclusion about after going over the fight in his head while waiting for Al to find him and Chester.

"What do you mean?" Mustang asked, leaning forward in his seat.

"Well, after they killed the souls, me and the guy fought. I was already pretty beat up but I got a few good hits in, including one that should've knocked him out but he healed himself every time. As in, wherever I managed to cause damage, red alchemic energy flashed and he was fine. The woman could extend her fingers into daggers. As in, she could stab someone 15 metres away with her fingers." Ed wanted to laugh at the disbelieving faces but he decided to get the story-telling over and done with. "This dude had me cornered and the woman was keeping Ches away from us so he couldn't help me. So I came up with probably the worst good idea in the country. The woman had ordered the man to wrap up our fight and blow up the building. Once he hit the trigger, I put my plan into action. He knocked me down and I activated an array and threw a wall up, separating the woman from Chester. Once that was done I got back up and Ches leapt at his throat. When he sidestepped Chester's attack, I caught Ches and we went down and rolled. Once we stopped, I enclosed us in a box and the building came down. Al got us out and here we are." Ed finished up. No one spoke for a few minutes.

"Brother, that was the most riskiest plan ever! What Ches had hurt you?! What if you weren't quick enough getting that shelter up?! What if-" Al started yelling and Ed held his hands up submissively.

"I know, Alphonse! I know how stupid it was. Like I said, it was the worst good plan I've ever had. You weren't there and I couldn't rely on the distance alchemy me and Ayala could use. I was losing a lot of blood and had no hope of winning that last fight in the condition I was in. Even I knew that. It was the only plan I could come up with that had a minute chance of working in our favour." Ed argued back and Al fell quiet.

"Was there anything else? Did they say anything?" Mustang asked, forcing the brothers from their separate conversation.

"Yeah, they weren't happy the Slicer brothers had fought me with the intent to kill. Said they were trying to kill an 'important sacrifice' and that they could've messed up the entire plan." He admitted. Hughes didn't look shocked at the news so Ed surmised that Al had already told him. Mustang and Hawkeye looked disturbed, to say the least. Ayala didn't like being reminded that there was a group of people wanting her human dead.

"Did they say anything that might tell us what their plan is or why you're a part of it?" Mustang asked and Ed thought he heard a bit of concern in his voice. He was probably imagining it.

"Nope. Though I have a theory as to why I'm one of the sacrifices. If I'm right, it means Al's one too." That got Chester's attention.

 _"I'm sorry, what?"_ The leopard asked.

"Well, think about it. Unless they're just picking random alchemists then there are really only two reasons to chose me. Either they're after alchemists who've committed the taboo or they want alchemists who are extremely powerful." Mustang made a derisive snort. "I could beat you any day of the week, Mustang." Ed snarled before turning back to Chester. "Even though he can't transmute like me, there's no doubting Al's a powerful alchemist. Though I'm leaning more towards the idea that is has something to do with the taboo." Ed admitted. Al was quiet for a moment before he chimed in.

"What if it has something to do with both?" Ed gave him a questioning look. "Well, neither of us would've survived if you hadn't been as powerful as you were back then and both of us have gotten a lot stronger since that night. Maybe they need alchemists strong enough to commit and survive human transmutation. I mean, there's powerful and then there's you." Ed mulled that over for a second.

"I think you're onto something there. Also, you're on my level; don't bother arguing. That means there's potentially two more alchemists out there that I can think of who they'd be after. Though I almost pity anyone who tries to go after her." Ed grinned at the idea. Teacher would have a field day with Palm Tree.

"Who's the second one you thought of, brother?" Al asked. They'd theorised that Teacher had committed the taboo since she and Ed could transmute the same way but he didn't know a third person who could.

"Assuming he's not dead, and he really better hope he is or he will be if I ever see him, the second person would be our deadbeat father." Ed spat out. "You don't remember him and I have vague memories but I remember his alchemy and we've read all of his journals. He was a much better alchemist than he was a father, though it wouldn't be that hard."

"Brother, I really wish-" Al started but Ed cut him off.

"Enough, Alphonse. I'm not getting into this again." Ed snapped and Ayala recoiled from the amount of anger Ed was feeling, though none of it was aimed at his little brother. There was an awkward silence that they were saved from by the timely arrival of Sergeant Brosh and Ed's dinner. Ed immediately had a grin in place but everyone could see it didn't reach his eyes. "Thanks, Denny." He said as he grabbed the offered takeout bag. Brosh looked like he wanted to say something but he settled for giving Ed a smile before he went and stood guard with Ajax.

"Roy and I are gonna have a chat. I have a lot of photos of my adorable girls to show him." Maes said with a wink and Mustang failed at hiding his irritation. "We'll finish this discussion once you're done." He ruffled Ed's hair and he shot him an annoyed glare before nodding. He was already devouring his food by the time the three adults left the room. Nala and Soren elected to remain behind and so did Leo but Ed wasn't sure if that was just a convenient way to escape Hughes's pictures or not. Al was quiet until Ed was halfway done with his meal.

"I'm sorry, brother. I shouldn't-" He started apologising, tone quiet but Ed shook his head.

"You don't need to apologise. I shouldn't have snapped at you. I'm the one who's sorry." Ed looked down at his food. He knew Al didn't hate their father and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't bothered by that. He also knew he hated thinking about his father, even if it was imagining how much pain he could inflict on the bastard before Al intervened, so he changed the topic. "So, you wanna tell me what's been bothering you since the building collapsed?" He continued eating as he looked at Al for a response.

"Who says I'm bothered by anything?" Al asked, voice pitched as he was obviously lying.

"I can talk to your Animal and even if I couldn't, mine says something's up." Ed reminded him and Al would've blushed at being caught in such an obvious lie if he could've blushed. Nala, Soren and Leo were watching this conversation with various degrees of interest, Leo's being almost non-existent. Ed saw Al glance at the three Animals and he sighed. "Guys? Do you promise not to repeat this conversation to your humans?" The lioness, owl and fox all nodded and Ed looked pointedly at Al. Realising he had no excuse and knowing he should tell Ed now instead of letting it fester, Al spoke.

"The armour I was fighting, Barry the Butcher, tried playing mind games with me. He kept trying to convince me that I wasn't real, that you had made me up and that all my memories were false and that Granny and Winry were playing along with it." Once he started talking, Al couldn't stop. Not until he'd gotten it all off his chest anyway. "I know he was lying and was just trying to mess with me because no matter how clever you are with alchemy, you couldn't make up Chester but you said there was something you were scared to tell me before Armstrong kicked our door open and even though I know he was lying..." He trailed off, unable to finish that thought. Ed was able to pick up where he left off though.

"You thought there might be something to it because of what I said." Ed said, voice neutral and Al nodded, head down and not making eye-contact. Ed pushed the rubbish from his dinner away and sat up straighter, wincing at the pain rolling through his entire body. "Let me set the record straight. While I'm flattered a serial killer thinks so highly of my alchemic ability, you are not something I created with false memories. You're my brother. You're as real as I am and Chester is proof enough of that. No one can create a Spirit Animal. I doubt you could even do something like that with a Philosopher's Stone. And do you really think Granny and Winry would go along with something like that?" Ed asked and Al shook his head. The Rockbell women would never have condoned Ed doing something like that. The idea was worse than human transmutation. Ed kept going. "You're 100% real and I will get you your body back. The thing I so afraid to ask was if you blamed me? If you blamed me for what happened to us that night, to you. I pushed us into activating that array. I didn't listen to Ayala or Chester and when you said you weren't sure, I ignored you and told you that we'd be fine. That's what I was afraid of." Boy, did that feel good to get off his chest. He'd been holding onto that fear for nearly four years now and admitting that out loud was a lot easier than he thought it would be. Ayala leaned into his side without the broken ribs and he scratched her behind the ears.

"Of course I don't blame you, brother. How could I? I may not have had a good feeling about that array but I didn't stop you. I could've walked away, I could've messed the array up, I could've insisted but I didn't. I placed my hands on that array with you and used my alchemy to help activate it. It's just as much my fault as it is yours. So please stop trying to take the blame all on yourself." Al had stood up and grabbed Ed by the shoulders, carefully avoiding his injury, and looked him in the eyes, deadly honest. It took a moment but Ed did smile at him.

"Okay, Al." He promised his little brother and Al let go of him, sitting back down in his spot. Deciding the atmosphere in the room needed to be a little less sappy, Ed looked at Nala and Soren. "So has Hawkeye shot Mustang yet?" Soren ruffled his feathers while Nala grinned.

 _"No, not yet. Though it's been a near thing."_ Soren admitted. Nala laughed.

 _"He's come up with some clever hiding places but he's not found the ideal spot yet. Hawkeye nearly lost her cool with him when she found two of his hiding spots_ and _walked in on him napping, in the same morning."_ Ed laughed and relayed the story to Al, who simply shook his head in amusement.

 _"Although, there is some interesting news."_ Soren said, conspiratorially. That got Ed's interest. Soren wasn't much of a gossip, much like his human.

"Ooh, what's that?" Ed asked, leaning forward slightly. Even Ayala and Chester were looking at them interested. Leo didn't look like he cared but Ed could see his ears pointed forward.

 _"Roy is getting transffered to Central. The whole team have. He hasn't told anyone though. We'll be based here by the time you get released from hospital."_ Nala told Ed who told Al.

"So he hasn't told the Lieutenant-Colonel?" Al asked, confused. Why wouldn't the colonel tell his best friend something like that? Nala shook her head and Ed grinned. They didn't get to discuss it any further because Mustang, Hawkeye and Hughes knocked and entered his hospital room once more. Ed shared a mischievous grin with Nala before schooling his features. Everyone sat back in their original seats.

"Say, Ed?" Hughes got Ed's attention. "Do you think you could give us a sketch of the two who you and Chester last went up against?"

"I could but I'm not that great of a drawer. You'd still have to wait until my automail is functional anyway." Ed informed him and Hughes thought that over before coming up with a solution.

"Could you describe them to someone to draw?" Ed thought he knew where Hughes was going with this.

"Do you mean Armstrong?" Maes nodded. "I'll send Gary a snapshot of the two of them in the morning. He can show Armstrong." Ed offered.

"Oh. Yeah that would probably make them more accurate. Good thinking, Ed." Maes grinned at him and Ed rolled his eyes as Maes playfully hit him, though he did hit a sore spot that caused Ed to flinch and Maes to look apologetic.

"Please don't injure him further, Hughes. He's already caused me enough paperwork." Mustang smirked at Ed's angry expression.

"You know what, Mustang? Go f-"

"Okay! Moving on." Maes interrupted Ed, though the blonde was still glowering at a smirking Mustang, and turned to Al. "Your turn, Al. Ed told us what happened with his fight." Al glanced at Ed who gave him an encouraging nod.

"Okay, well not much really happened. The soul bonded to the armour I fought was someone called 'Barry the Butcher'. He was a little upset when I said Ayala and I didn't know who he was. We fought the entire time Ed was inside the lab and the guard who was stationed at the front interrupted us but he got hurt and his Animal dragged away from the fight. Ayala helped me out but since we couldn't hurt him, there wasn't much she could do to help except provide a distraction if he managed to knock me down. Just before the building collapsed, Lieutenant Ross and Sergeant Brosh showed up and Barry escaped when the building started to collapse. After that, Ayala contacted Ed and I contacted Chester. He told me what had happened their end and that Ed had a plan to lead us to him once the building had settled. We got as close as we could to where we thought they were buried and Ed activated Ayala's healing energy. When we saw the green energy, I started transmuting the rubble away until I got to them. Ed was already unconscious when I found them. I got them both out and Lieutenant Ross drove us to the hospital." Neither Animal nor Elric brother mentioned what Barry had said to Alphonse. Mustang had a look on his face that suggested there was a small detail that didn't sit right with him. Neither Elric noticed it but the others sure did,

"Tell me, Al. You said Ayala wasn't badly hurt in the fight?" Mustang questioned.

"Uh, yeah. I think she suffered some bruised ribs and maybe a small scratch but I don't actually know for sure. Ed would be able to tell you." Al was confused. Why would he be asking about the wolf's injuries?

"Fullmetal?" Ed eyed him suspiciously. "What were Ayala's injuries?"

"What Al said. Plus a twisted paw. Why are you interested in my Animal's injuries?" Ed demanded. Even Hawkeye and Hughes were watching Mustang curiously. They hadn't connected the dots.

"If she wasn't badly hurt, how come healing her took long enough for Al to find you? I can't imagine that that was a quick process." Hawkeye and Hughes's eyes flew open as they realised what Mustang was implying. Ed could tell Mustang already knew the answer and was just waiting for Ed to confirm it.

"I slowed her healing down." Ayala shifted next to him. It hadn't been a pleasant experience for the wolf. The feeling of her injuries healing tortuously slowly was not fun. Ed gave her a comforting scratch. Something like triumph shown in Mustang's eyes while the other two gasped. "Before anyone starts lecturing me, healing her as slow as I did had zero effects on me." He stated and Mustang raised a brow in disbelief.

"You were unconscious when they brought you in, Edward." Hawkeye pointed out and Hughes nodded his agreement.

"I was unconscious from blood loss, not from healing her. There's a difference." Ed pointed out. "The amount of energy I have inside of me for her is massive. I mean, three or four times more than what you have for your Animals combined. She could've broken every bone in her body and I could've healed her and it wouldn't have made a dent in her energy or required more than a few hours sleep for me to recover from healing her." Ed watched as the realisation sunk into each of them. The Animals were impressed. They had no clue since an Animal couldn't sense energy not meant for it.

"You're just all sorts of weird, ain't ya?" Maes asked after a couple minutes of silence and Ed just laughed while Ayala shot Hughes an offended look.

"I guess so. Anyway, I got a question for you, Mustang." Ed and Nala shared a knowing grin and Mustang wasn't sure he liked the not-so-innocent tone of his youngest subordinate's voice. "When the fuck were you gonna tell me we'd been transferred to Central? I got shit to grab in East City." The effect of his question was immediate and varied. Mustang's face paled and he looked betrayed. Hawkeye looked pissed that Ed hadn't been told. Hughes looked both estatic at the fact his best friend would be living in the same city and angry that he hadn't been told. Ed was wearing a shit-eating grin as he sat back and watched the chaos unfold in front of him, Nala, Soren, Chester and Ayala's laughter ringing in his head. Ed could tell that Al was trying not to laugh either. Nala came to lay on Ed's bed on the opposite side of Ayala so she could revel in the chaos she had helped create.

"How could you not tell me, your best friend, that you were moving to Central?!"

"You told me you'd told Edward a week ago."

"My girls will be delighted to hear about this! I'm gonna take so many photos of when I tell them and show you all of them!" Ed wasn't sure what he found funnier; Maes enthusiasm, Hawkeye's pissed off glare or Mustang's frantic looks for an exit. The humorous scene was cut short by a nurse walking in with a disapproving scowl on her face.

"Visiting hours are over. Please take this racket somewhere where people aren't trying to rest and recover." She sternly ordered and Maes and Hawkeye apologised to her. Mustang just looked grateful for the rescue.

"I'll swing by before work tomorrow, Ed." Maes clapped him on the automail shoulder.

"Can't wait." Ed may having sounded unenthused but he still grinned and Maes winked before he left, waiting near Maria and Denny for Mustang and Hawkeye.

"I believe we'll be catching the train back tomorrow. I'll have Soren let you know when we've officially moved to Central since you'll still be here. I hope you feel better soon." Hawkeye said as Soren fluttered up to perch on her shoulder.

"Thank you, Miss Riza. Have a safe trip back." Ed smiled at her and she nodded.

 _"See you soon, Ed."_ Nala said as she nuzzled the side of his face and he gave her a one-armed hug.

"Yeah, let me know when you get here. That way, I can tell Maes." Ed grinned at her and she laughed, promising she would. Mustang, who had heard none of their conversation, still looked nervous, knowing they were plotting something.

"Come on, Nala. Let's go." Nala made an annoyed noise but she jumped down and waited at Mustang's feet. "I'm glad you weren't badly injured, Fullmetal." Something in his voice made Ed falter with his snarky response.

"Easy there, Mustang. People might think you actually care about me." Ed had aimed for a teasing tone but there was an underlying uncertainty in it, like he wasn't sure that Mustang still hated him thanks to the tone of Mustangs voice.

"As if. You're not worth the paperwork if you died." Mustang rolled his eyes and Ed felt his emotions settle back down. This was familiar ground.

"Like you'd do it anyway." Ed snarked back but Mustang pretended not to hear him as he shut the door behind him. The nurse escorted them all to the front entrance.

"You do realise he does actually care about you?" Al asked and Ed huffed as he tried to adjust his bed and pillows so he could lay down. Now that it was just him and Al, he felt really tired again.

"Yeah, right. You keep believing that, Al. I'm simply a career-making tool to him. I die and there goes any progress up the military ladder he might've made." Ed scoffed as he lay down and Ayala adjusted her position so she was laying comfortably next to him. "Good night, Al."

"You're wrong." Al said but didn't push it any further when Ed shot him a look that clearly said to drop it. "Good night, brother." Ed huffed out a breath, clearly aware that Al was going to bring this subject up again at some point in the future. But that was a matter for then not now so Ed shut his eyes and curled up around Ayala as best he could without further hurting himself. Sleep claimed Ed easily after that.

The next day passed relatively uneventful. The only entertainment was watching Ed's increasing fear as the hours slowly passed before they knew if Winry was coming straight to the hospital or if she was crashing somewhere for the night so Ed had one more night with his skull intact. Maria was a bit worried about the woman who instilled such fear in Edward being near him while Al and Denny flat out found it hilarious. Ed had sent Gary a snapshot of his memory like he'd promised Hughes and had also asked the gorilla to ask Armstrong if he wouldn't mind meeting Winry at the train station. Gary had told him that Armstrong had said that he'd be more than thrilled to meet Miss Winry and escort her to the hospital. Ed had thanked them and just started to hope that she got in late enough that Armstrong would help her find a hotel instead of his hospital room. Naturally, Ed's luck was not that good.

"EDWARD ELRIC! WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE TO MY BEAUTIFUL AUTOMAIL THIS TIME?!" A familiar voice shrieked as she entered the room before she stood there in stunned silence, taking in all of his injuries. "WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU GOTTEN YOURSELF INTO NOW?!" There went any hope Ed had of a quiet conversation. The blonde had her tool kit in one hand and Michella wrapped around the other, the monkey looking equally as furious as her human. Maria and Denny hovered near the open door just in case they had to intervene since Al had somehow managed to time his walk perfectly to miss Winry's arrival. Winry's fingers twitched, searching for her wrench when Ayala sent her a warning growl. The fingers stopped their search but the anger didn't fade from her face.

"Look, I'm not gonna go into details but I went up against someone who was really well trained with a sword and he managed to land a blow on my wrist that did something to it because I've lost all movement to it. I can still wriggle my fingers and grasp things but I can't use my wrist." Ed explained as quickly and calmly as he could, hoping the calm part of his tome would rub off on Winry. Michella leapt lightly off Winry and landed gently next to his automail arm, holding her small hands out in a 'gimme' gesture. He was wise enough not to argue with the monkey. Winry set her kit down and rifled through it for the tools she was obviously being told she'd need. Once done, she grabbed Ed's food table and rolled it over next to him so his arm could sit propped on it while she worked.

"Michella says one of the bolts holding the joint together snapped. He must've been strong, whoever he was, because it takes a ridiculous amount of force to snap a bolt. You're lucky it's not any worse. I'll be charging you the usual rush fee and travel expenses, of course." She grinned at him in a way that made him send a silent apology to his bank account. They got to work almost immediately and Ed couldn't help but marvel at how helpful Michella actually was. Having such small hands was a huge advantage when it came to automail as it made it easier to get into those hard to reach places. Al and Chester came back from their walk later than Ed had anticipated.

"Armstrong ran into us." Was all Al had to say to Ed's questioning expression and he gave a nod of understanding. "He said to tell you that he wishes you a speedy recovery and that he'll pass those sketches onto Hughes in the morning if he doesn't see him beforehand. Hey, Winry, Michella. When did you two get in?" Al asked, spotting the girl and the monkey.

"About an hour ago. We've been here for half of that." She looked up briefly at him gave him a once over. "At least you don't look banged up. Your brother's in enough trouble." Alphonse nervously laughed while Ed's face paled slightly at the danger in that tone.

"Yeah I got the easier end of the fight. Brother and I really appreciate you coming out all this way to help him." Alphonse used his best 'I'm just a little, adorable kid' voice and Winry visibly softened, but only slightly. That anger was replaced with a more serious expression though.

"All you boys ever do is worry me, you know that? It seems like every time I get a phone call, it's to tell me you need repairs. I just wish you'd either tell me what's going on or that you'd at least call me more than every few months when you don't need your mechanic." She said, voice wavering as she continued her work. Ed and Al both felt the effects of that guilt trip and, as usual, the placating of Winry feel to Al.

"I can't promise that we will but I can promise that we'll definitely try harder." Al said gently as he placed a massive hand on Winry's shoulder. She gave him a watery smile before giving Ed a watery glare that made him hastily agree with what Al had said. With that crisis diverted, Winry and Michella announced they were done after a few more minutes of work and Ed happily tested it out.

"That feels so much better. Thanks, Win, Michella." He flashed her a quick smile before ruffling Ayala's fur with his mended arm.

"No problems." Winry said as she gathered her tools.

 _"You're welcome. Though you'd better keep that promise you made to her or you'll have me to answer too."_ Ed's eyes widened slightly. It was the first time Michella had spoken to him and threatened him, at that.

"I said I would try and I will." Ed assured her and the monkey gave him a nod before making her way back to Winry just as Hughes dropped by for his usual visit.

"Yo! Ed, my boy. I heard you'd smuggled in a pretty blonde to work on you." Hughes flashed him his usual teasing smile while Ed rolled his eyes.

"Maes Hughes, this is my mechanic and childhood friend, Winry Rockbell." He introduced the two of them and they exchanged nods. "She's practically my sister so don't bother teasing me like you do Colonel Bastard about Miss Riza." Hughes pouted at him. Ed looked decidedly unimpressed.

"Hello, Mr Hughes." Al greeted from his spot and Hughes turned to flash him a smile.

"Hey, Alphonse. How are you today?" Al shrugged one huge shoulder.

"Same old, same old." Was the reply.

"While it's nice to see you, Hughes, don't you have work you should be doing?" Ed asked, interrupting the two of them.

 _"Yes, he does but he gave Sheska overtime so he could come down here."_ Leo told him before Hughes could answer. This time, Leo was on the receiving end of a Hughes pout. Leo was about as moved as Ed was.

"You're a bit of a jerk, you know that?" Ed commented dryly and Hughes offered him a 'what can you do?' shrug.

"Well, I had to go see my best friend off at the train station and I ran into Major Armstrong just before. He gave me those sketches. I just need you to look at them and tell me if they're accurate or not. Oh, and I found out you and Al might not need a military guard for much longer." That brightened Ed's day. Though he's grown to like Maria and Denny, being out from under their watchful eye would be wonderful. They'd become kinda intense with their guarding duties since the boys and their Animals had given them the slip, though couldn't really blame them.

"Are you gonna hand over those sketches?" Ed asked, choosing to ignore the guard thing for the moment.

"Oh, yeah." Ed rolled his eyes in sync with Leo as Hughes rifled through his pockets before producing two bits of paper. "Here you go." He handed them over and Ed unfolded them. He didn't think he'd get used to how good an artist the Major was. There was just something unbelievable about a mountain of a man being able to sketch like this. He passed the sketches to Al once he'd finished scrutinising them.

"They're good. Palm Tree has that ouroborous tattoo on his left thigh but it's pretty much covered when he's standing still. Other than that, it's spot on." He told Hughes as the sketches were passed back to Ed so he could show Ayala. Once she'd seen them, they were given back to Maes.

"Okay, I'll make a note of that. Thanks, Ed." Hughes did indeed jot that information down in a notebook before slipping the sketches inside and putting the notebook back. "I'll see you tomorrow." Hughes gave him a smile.

"As long as you don't make Miss Sheska pick up your slack." Ed said as he smiled back at the man who simply winked in response. Winry stood up to leave as well.

"I should go too. I still have to find somewhere to stay for the night." She offered almost apologetic that she had to leave so soon.

"Oh , there's no need for that." Hughes claimed, making everyone look at him. "You can just come stay at my place!" He offered and Winry looked startled.

"Really?" She asked, knocked off balance by the offer.

"Yes, of course. My wife and daughter would be simply delighted to have you." Hughes assured her and she looked back at the boys for help, something that wasn't forthcoming fom either of them. He didn't give her a chance to argue. "It's settled. Come on, come on." He gave her a slight push and then smartly grabbed her tool kit out of her hands. "I'll carry this for you. Let's go!" She had no choice but to follow him. The boys did not miss that 'you'll pay for this' glance she threw back over her shoulder. Ed was almost afraid to go to sleep that night, worried that she'd sneak in to exact her revenge against him. He still managed to fall asleep a couple hours later after the nurse came in to check on his injuries and Al managed to grab him some dinner.

Winry came back to visit the next morning and once Ed given a thorough tongue-lashing for breaking her automail. He suffered through until Al offered to take her around Central and show her the mechanical shops. Doing much the same as he'd done for Sheska, Ed wrote down the figure Winry told him and handed Al his watch with instructions to withdraw that amount for Winry to take. He emphasised that only the amount written on the paper was to be withdrawn and Winry pouted as she realised Al couldn't be conned into giving her a little extra. Michella didn't appreciate the insinuation that Winry would take more than owed, even though she knew Winry had been planning on doing just that. It was something she had tried before though Granny had berated her for overcharging Ed so he'd wised up to her game. Once Winry was gone and he wasn't in danger of being murdered with a wrench, Ed managed to relax for the first time since he woke up. Al had been thoughtful enough to ask Sergeant Brosh to go back to their hotel room and grab Ed some books so he wasn't bored when it was just him and Ayala by themselves. He and Al were working on something important that Maria and Denny had been trying to figure out but the boys were too paranoid for their own good. Ed worked on their project without Al for a while but he needed a second person that wasn't Ayala to bounce ideas off of once he got stuck so he was reading until his brother came back.

A week had passed with the Elric brothers days passing like this. Winry had decided to turn her emergency visit into a little holiday and explore Central, all on Ed's dime. Doctor Overland had visited Ed every shift but declared that Ed wasn't healed enough for him to authorise his release. Ed was tempted to leave anyway but Al and Winry both provided very persuasive, if not violent, reasons as to why he should stay until the doctor told him he could leave. So Ed stayed and when he apologised to Ayala, she just told him she didn't care and that she just wanted him to heal up so the doctor would let him leave. It was a couple days after this and when Ed could finally sit up without pillows behind his back that Maria and Denny had both come into the room, something that sparked Ed's curiosity since they'd both stuck to the 'one inside the room, one outside the room' technique.

"Fullmetal Alchemist, sir!" Both Maria and Denny shouted, causing Ed and Ayala to make a confused questioning noise. "We do apologise in advance for this!" Again, this was said in perfect synchronisation that was immediately followed by a loud SLAP! as Maria stuck Ed across the face before Ayala could even warn him. The wolf didn't appreciate that and was up and snapping at them before Ed could do anything. Ajax and Kaia were pressing themselves into the front of their humans legs, just in case. Ed lay a soothing hand on Ayala while his automail hand touched the rapidly reddening cheek.

"You acted like a selfish brat and you only escaped with your life because you were lucky!" Maria scolded him before her expression softened. "You don't have to do everything alone, you know. You can lean on other people, you and your brother both. Like us. Not all adults are the enemy, Ed. You can trust us." She said in a soft, almost pleading voice before she snapped back into her professional persona.

"Please forgive our abusive conduct and words, sir! It will not happen again!" Both Maria and Denny apologised, standing military straight.

"No, you're right." Ed admitted as Ayala finally lay down back next to him. "I should be the one apologising." And he really should have been. He'd thought about it a few times while he was healing. He'd acted without thinking, going off his own and almost getting himself and Chester killed and he'd almost gotten Maria and Denny into trouble.

"My punishment?" Maria asked and a quick glance saw Ed's questioning expression. "For slapping you?" She clarified.

"Oh. Nothing. I had it coming. Though you probably should apologise to Ayala." Ed said as the golden-eyed wolf shot them a quick glare.

"We apologise for injuring your human, Ayala. It won't happen again." Maria bowed and Ayala snorted.

 _"Tell her that it better not. No one is allowed to hurt my boy and get away with it."_ Ed dutifully relayed the message.

"What's got you two so scared of me, anyway?" He asked as he witnessed them almost sag to the floor in relief when they realised neither boy nor Animal were going to punish them.

"State Alchemists carry a military rank equivalent to that of a major." Maria reminded him. Ed honestly forgot about that sometimes.

"Oh, well don't worry about it. I didn't join the military so people would kiss up to me. You don't have to talk to me like a high-ranking military officer, either. Being called 'sir' by people older than me is just weird." Ed informed them, scrunching his nose up a little. A realisation sparked in his brain and he looked at them with amused curiosity. "So did you two lecture Al?" Denny grabbed his hand and Ed laughed as he made the connection. Even Ayala huffed in amusement. A nurse came to investigate the shouting and the two military officers soon resumed their posts outside the door, not willing to risk another lecture from the nurse, leaving Ed to get back to his and Al's secret project while he awaited his brothers return.

The day after Maria and Denny's lecture saw Hughes accompanied on his morning visit by Major Armstrong and Gary. The Major apologised for not visiting sooner and giving him an 'example of the perfect specimen to inspire his recovery', something Ed had quickly assured him was completely unnecessary and Hughes had to intervene before Armstrong to rip off his shirt to show him what he meant. Ed ended up giving Armstrong and Gary the run down of what had happened in the laboratory, partially so the Major wouldn't be tempted to remove his clothes again.

"It's odd they let you live." Armstrong commented after he'd finished giving him the shortened version of events. "What about this sacrifice and the other armoured souls?" He asked and Ed recognised it as a method of working through a tricky problem.

"Not to mention the ouroborous tattoos and transmutation circles." Hughes added helpfully. "Doctor Marcoh claimed that they were using Philosopher's Stones in Ishval." Ed wasn't sure if it was the information or the memories that had Armstrong frowning. Gary placed a hand on his humans shoulder and that seemed to bring Armstrong back out of wherever he was.

"Every clue we have to work with seems to lead to its own mystery." He sighed and Hughes nodded.

"Not much we can do about that though. Any answers we may have found are buried under a ton of rubble back at the lab." He reminded him and Ed glared at the imagined accusation but Hughes didn't notice. "I'll run a search and see if I can find priors on anyone with an ouroborous tattoo." He offered as he took the sketch of the tattoo off Ed's work table.

"While you're doing that, I'll continue looking into the research team under Doctor Marcoh while he was in Ishval." He announced as he pulled a bunch of papers stapled together from his inside pocket. Ayala suddenly stood up on the bed and stared intently at the door, ears twitching nervously. A quick glance showed Ed that Chester was doing the same, only with his tail. The two military officers looked confused since their Animals weren't acting completely out of the ordinary.

"What's wrong with you two?" Ed asked as he placed his hand on Ayala's side.

 _"Something like what attacked you is outside your door. I can't believe neither of us picked up his scent earlier."_ Ayala berated herself.

"Wait, you've sensed this person before?" Ed asked as a knock sounded but Ed paid no attention to it.

 _"Yes. Back when you took your practical exam. Someone who was in that room is here now."_ Ayala hissed a warning as the door swung open and Ed found himself face to face with the Fuhrer himself.

"Sorry to interrupt." He smiled pleasantly at them all and both Hughes and Armstrong immediately saluted.

"Fuhrer Bradley, your excellency!" Armstrong managed to get out with some surprised stuttering.

"Calm down, gentlemen. This is just an informal visit." He told them, dismissing their salutes with a casual smile.

"This is who you sensed back then? How did you not know it was the Fuhrer?" Ed asked, keeping their conversation silent as Hughes asked the Fuhrer why he was here.

 _"I didn't know! That scent was all over Central Headquarters and there were dozens of different people in there and the Fuhrer had his bodyguards. I couldn't distinguish the different scents, not without being closer to them. All I could sense was wrongness and pure anger. Ed, whatever they were that attacked you, the Fuhrer is one of them!"_ A basket with a melon in it was thrust in front of Ed's face and he blinked in surprise as the Fuhrer finished what he was saying, something about how a melon would cheer him up.

"I guess. Thank you, sir." He said, confused as he placed it on the spare surface of his research table. He was doing his best not to freak out at the information Ayala had just given him and act normal. He gave her instructions to pass that information onto the Animals in the room and Nala with instructions they were to pass it on to their humans and keep their mouths shut until he got in contact. He also asked Ayala to ask Nala to pass it on to Mustangs teams Animals.

"I understand you've been checking up on some of the senior staff. Is that right, Major Armstrong?" Bradley's question got Ed's attention again.

"Yes, sir." Armstrong answered, almost sweating from his nerves. "How did you know I was-?"

"You should know that nothing gets by me, Major." Bradley cut him off before facing Ed. " And now for you, my young Fullmetal Alchemist, tell me. What do you know about the Philosopher's Stone? I hope for your sake, you don't know too much." The tone of his voice had Ed struggling not to squirm. Ayala was starting to pull her lips back in a snarl and growl softly at him, making Ed warn her not to be too threatening or they'd get in trouble. Suddenly, Bradley's whole demeanour changed and he was laughing. Ed was not the only person who looked completely confused and even caused Ayala to stop her protective display briefly. "I'm only kidding! There's no reason for you to be so uptight!" Ed managed a weak smile but Bradley didn't take any notice as he continued, tone much more serious now. "I know that there has been some suspicious activity in the military lately and I believe it's necessary for something to be done about it." He said as he snatched the papers out of Armstrong's hands before the big man could do anything to stop him.

"Oh, that's just uh-" Armstrong couldn't come up with anything.

"A list of the research team investigating the Philosopher's Stone." Bradley finished for him in a knowing tone. "Every person listed in this document was reported missing. They all vanished several days before the fifth laboratory collapsed." He glanced at Hughes and Armstrong's shocked faces before sighing. "It seems that our enemies are always one step ahead of us. Even with my vast network, I have no way to determine just how far into the military ranks we've been infiltrated. The most we know about them is that they know a lot about us." That was not comforting information to any of them. Ayala wasn't buying whatever the Fuhrer was trying to sell. Ed could see the hidden suspicious looks on the others' faces as well.

"In that case, this is proving a lot more dangerous that we imagined." Hughes commented as though nothing was amiss.

"Major Armstrong, Lieutenant-Colonel Hughes, Elric brothers, you've all proven yourself to be men of trustworthy character but from this point forward, I'm giving you the direct order to forget this matter and all it concerns. At this time suspicion is our strongest offense and our strongest defense is discretion." His voice turned deadly authoritative. "Do not trust anyone. Keep this to yourselves at all costs." Again, his demeanour did a 180 and he smiled. "However, when I feel the time is right to confront the enemy, I expect you to be prepared to join me."

"Sir!" Hughes and Armstrong saluted and Ed sat on his bed, watching the Fuhrer's back.

"Has Fuhrer Bradley passed through here?" A random voice asked, worry evident. The Fuhrer let out a guilty chuckle, like a child who's just been caught stealing some candy.

"Whoops, gotta go." He muttered something about bodyguards acting like shadows as he made his way over to the window and opened it, one foot on the sill before he turned back to the perplexed and shocked faces of those in the room. "You see, I snuck away for a few minutes of privacy." He explained before he ducked out through the window and disappeared from their sight. It took them a minute to get over the shock of seeing their leader escape through a window to avoid his bodyguards. Hughes went to say something but Ed held his hand up, stopping him short.

"Ayala?" He didn't have to say anything more than that. His wolf knew what he was asking.

 _"He's gone. We can talk."_ She told him after a moment and Ed gave Maes a nod.

"What the hell? Leo said that Ayala reckons the Fuhrer's scent is similar to the ones who attacked you?" Hughes wanted answers and unfortunately, he wasn't the only one. Every single Animal on Mustang's team all bombarded him with questions at the same time, giving Ed an instant headache.

"Shut up for one second!" He mentally yelled back at all of them and breathed a sigh of relief when they did as they were asked. "Right, I'm gonna explain all of this to you all at the same time. If you have questions, wait until I ask you, okay?" He got six affirmative answers before he looked back at Maes.

"I don't know why but Fuhrer Bradley isn't to be trusted. Ayala says that he smells like the other three scents she's been able to pick up but the thing that sets Bradley apart is that he smells like pure anger. Whatever they were that attacked me, Bradley is one of them. I don't have definitive proof but I think his visit here wasn't just an excuse to get away from his bodyguards. I think he came here because he doesn't want us to find out something big. If he really is the enemy than this whole situation just got a million times more dangerous. If the leader of this country and the military is on the wrong side than we have to be constantly on our guard. They're going to be keeping an extremely close eye on us and what we do." Ed finished on that cheery note. He asked the Animals but no one seemed to have a question from their humans, just messages for them to stay safe. He closed his connections to them and focused solely on the people and Animals in the room with him.

"This is way too unbelievable. If you're right than whatever's going down could very well affect the whole country." Hughes said and Ed nodded. "Leo said he felt something strange about the Fuhrer when we first met him but he never described it like Ayala did. He just said that something felt off about him. I never imagined this."

"Gary said the same thing." Armstrong told them and Gary nodded. "I would never have guessed the Fuhrer was part of this. If Gary hadn't passed on Ayala's message when he did, I doubt I would've believed you guys straight away after that speech."

"Look, you two can't look into this any further." Ed told them straight up. Both men and their Animals looked at him in surprise. "This is way more dangerous than we bargained for. You two need to stay out of it. I have a nasty feeling they won't take kindly to people snooping into this. Not after what the Fuhrer just said. Just leave this to me and Al." Hughes was already shaking his head.

"We can't leave this entirely up to you. You two would be placing a bigger target on your backs." He argued.

"No, they don't want us dead, remember? Worst case scenario is we'd have to fight them again. They would not hesitate to take you two or anyone who gets in their way out." Ed told them but he could see that they weren't going to listen. "He may be on the wrong side but the Fuhrer did give you a direct order to stay out of it so you have to." He tried using giving them that as an out.

"That order was directed at all of us, including you two." Hughes pointed out with a smirk and Ed rolled his eyes.

"Just ask Mustang. I've never been one to listen to direct orders like that." He smirked back and Maes managed a chuckle before his face grew serious.

"Ed, I'm not leaving this for you to handle by yourself. Even with Al, Ayala and Chester, it's way too big for you to figure out. You need help and I'm going to give you that no matter how much you argue." His tone told Ed that he wasn't budging from this decision.

"I agree with the Lieutenant-Colonel. I'll continue my digging and see what information I can produce to help you two figure this out." Armstrong's deep voice carried the same tone of finality that Hughes' had. Ed's eyes flicked between the two men.

"There's nothing I can say that will make you change your minds, is there?" He asked and Hughes flashed him a grin.

"Nope." They both confirmed and Ed tried one last time.

"Leo, Gary, can't you make them agree not to do this?" He pleaded with the Animals but both shook their heads.

 _"Sorry, Ed, but Maes is extremely stubborn once he gets on a major case like this."_ Leo informed him.

 _"Alex doesn't like not lending a helping hand to those he cares about, especially if they're involved in something as dangerous as this."_ Gary said proudly and Ed's head fell into his palm as he sighed.

"Please don't get involved in this more than you already have?" He tried one last time, this time he was begging. It almost worked.

"Sorry, Ed. We're gonna keep looking into this." Hughes at least had the decency to sound apologetic. Ed scowled at him and Armstrong both. Winry's arrival saved Maes and Armstrong from being subjected to Ed's death glare.

"Whoa, what did I miss?" The blonde girl asked as soon as she and Michella stepped into the room and took stock of the mood.

"Nothing, don't worry about it." Ed said sullenly and Hughes resisted the urge to ruffle the alchemists hair. He was fairly certain the teenager would bite his hand off if he did.

"Okay." She said uncertainly before remembering why she came here in the first place. "Oh! I had a look at a map after you two mentioned you wanted to go to Dublith after Ed was released and I saw that Rush Valley was on the way there." The hopeful and pleading looks on both Winry and Michella's faces had Ed feeling a little on edge.

"And?" He asked uncaring. He had no clue what would be so exciting about Rush Valley. Winry gaped at him like he'd said something horrendous.

"And Rush Valley is the holy land of automail mechanics!" She squealed with excitement and glee. "Michella and I want to go with you so we can fins someone there to apprentice under. Granny's already said yes and suggested someone to me." She turned puppy-dog eyes on Ed who, fortunately for him, was immune.

"So why are you telling us?" Again, he had no clue why this was important to them.

"Well, someone had to pay for my ticket!" Winry told him, huffing slightly. Ed's brows scrunched together.

"I recall recently giving you a disgusting amount of money for my arm. Why should I pay for your ticket?" He asked and Winry flushed a little.

"Well, I kinda already spent it on stuff to send back to Granny." Ed facepalmed.

"You seriously spent all of that money already?" He asked, ignoring Hughes' chuckles of amusement.

"Well, no. I sent most of it back to Granny. Please, Ed? I really wanna go!" She begged him and even Michella was asking him nicely. Ed rolled his eyes.

"Fine but I'm deducting the cost from my next repair." Winry jumped up and down with glee.

"Thank you, Ed! I can't wait to go. You better not take too long to get released." She warned him with a dangerous gleam in her eye. Doctor Overland had checked him over yesterday but wasn't willing to release him, even though he'd taken the stitches out. The next time the doctor was going to see him was tomorrow. Part of him wanted Winry to leave already before she drained him dry but he didn't want her travelling alone. A solution soon formed.

"How about you and Al catch the next train to Rush Valley?" He suggested and watched as her jaw dropped and Al made a surprised noise.

"What? What about you?" She asked before Al had the chance to protest.

"I don't know how longer I'll be stuck in here and this way, you get to be there quicker. I'll catch the next train I can get on once I'm released and catch up with you two in Rush Valley before Al and I head to Dublith." Winry turned to Al who still hadn't spoken.

"Please, Al? I know you want to stay here with Ed but he'll be fine! He has Ayala to look after him." She turned the puppy dog eyes onto Al and, unlike Ed, they worked.

"Are you sure, brother? I know we're practically done with _that_ but will you be okay by yourself?" Al asked. He didn't want to leave Ed alone. His big brother did have an annoying talent for getting into trouble.

"Of course I will be. Honestly, Al, I'll be fine. Plus, we won't have to deal with an antsy Winry." He smirked as said blonde glared daggers at him. Al heaved a sigh.

"Okay. Why don't we call the train station and find out when we can leave?" He suggested to Winry who looked like she was about to explode with happiness.

"Thank you, Al! I'll go call them right now!" She disappeared out of the room so quickly they almost didn't see her.

"Are you absolutely sure about this, brother?" Al asked again, hoping Ed would be a bit more honest with Winry out of the room.

"Yeah. I don't know when Doc will say I'm okay to leave and since you two extracted that promise from me, I can't leave before he lets me. You four don't need to be stuck here with me. Plus, I don't want her travelling by herself, not after everything that's happened in the last two weeks." He admitted and Al nodded.

"Don't worry, Al. I'll make sure your brother doesn't get into trouble!" Hughes declared and Ed rolled his eyes.

"Thank you, Mr Hughes." Al bowed slightly. Hurricane Winry swept back into the room.

"The lady said there was a train leaving in hour! If we hurry, we can catch it!" Al looked at Ed and Ed nodded.

"Okay, let's go. Where's all your stuff?" Al asked and Winry beamed.

"At Mr Hughes' place." She told him.

"Righto, I'll give you two a lift back so you can grab your things and drop you off at the train station." Hughes offered and Winry aimed her mega-watt smile at him.

"If you guys don't move now, you'll miss the train." Ed said, smirking slightly. That got Winry into high gear.

"Right, let's go!" She ordered them before flinging her arms around Ed and causing him to gasp in pain as she squeezed his ribs too tight. Michella had to scramble up onto Winry's back to avoid being squashed as well. "Thanks again, Ed! See you soon." She called as she headed out the door.

"I'll be back tomorrow morning." Hughes said as he and Leo followed the enthusiastic blonde. Armstrong and Gary followed Hughes out with a goodbye.

"Make sure you let Chester know if something happens or you get releases and when you plan on catching the train." Al told Ed as he fidgeted slightly. He didn't like being away from Ed and Ed didn't like being away from him.

"I know, Al, and I will. The second I get released, I'll let you know. Make sure you tell me when you guys get to Rush Valley. You better go before Winry comes back and drags you out." Ed grinned and Al nodded before clamping his hand on Ed's automail shoulder.

"I'll see you soon, brother." Ed nodded.

"See you in a few days, hopefully." Ed said back with a smile.

 _"Don't get caught under anymore collapsing buildings while we're gone."_ Chester joked as they headed for the door and Ed rolled his eyes at the leopard.

"Make sure you look after my brother." He told the leopard and Chester nodded before slipping through the closing door. Now it was just Ed and Ayala in the room by themselves and Ed couldn't believe how silent it was.

 _"They'll be fine and you'll be released soon."_ Ayala said comfortingly, snuggling into his side as they both got comfortable on the bed. Ed smiled gratefully at her before he pulled out their project notes and went over them again, making sure they'd done everything correctly. Ed was convinced this new array would be absolutely vital in the future. There were only two interruptions before nightfall and that was Denny bringing him lunch and Chester telling him that they'd caught the train on time. Ed stayed up for a few hours after dinner, courtesy of Maria, reading a book until he heard from Chester again. Once the leopard had told him they'd arrived in Rush Valley safely and were in a hotel, Ed let Ayala convince him to get some sleep.

The next morning passed like all others had in the hospital. A nurse woke him up to see how he was feeling and to ask if he wanted breakfast, which he always replied 'no' to since Maria or Denny grabbed him something. After he had his breakfast, Hughes would pop in to say hello and tell him stories about what cute thing Elysia or Gracia had done the previous night before he headed off to work only after Leo and Ed both told him he'd be late. Hughes didn't stay as long as Ed expected and he seemed preoccupied by something. Ed asked what was going on but Hughes said he didn't want to say anything until he'd gathered some more information and Ed reluctantly let the matter go. Even Ayala tried questioning Leo but the fox refused to tell her anything, not even a single hint. After Hughes left, Ed called Maria and Denny into the room and gave them the short version of what had happened yesterday. Denny wasn't as shocked as he'd expected and it only took a couple of seconds staring at him for the blonde man to spill that he'd been eavesdropping the day before. Ed rolled his eyes before reminding them both to be careful. They thanked him for the warning and resumed their posts. Ed and Ayala wasted away the rest of the morning reading.

Doctor Overland didn't visit until a couple of hours before sundown. He'd contacted Chester shortly after lunch to see how they were going and managed to waste nearly two hours just chatting to Chester and his brother but once they'd said goodbye, Ed was left with reading again. Ed was starting to wonder if the old man had forgotten he was still held captive here and Ayala had rolled her eyes at his wording. But the good doctor did make his appearance and after subjecting Ed to some minor tests and examinations, declared the blonde fit to be released. Ed's whoop of joy could be heard almost all the way to Central Headquarters.

"Major Elric, you must remember that you can't use your left arm much for another couple of weeks. If you aggravate that injury, you may very well end up back here for a longer stay. Please take it easy and get it checked out by a doctor in two weeks. If you're in Central, I'd be happy to take a look at it but as long as it gets looked at by a trained medical doctor, I'll be happy." Doctor Overland requested as the blonde emerged from the bathroom, dressed in his usual attire minus the red jacket. His spare was in his suitcase that Hughes was kindly holding on to since the hotel couldn't hold their room forever. Ayala was jumping up and down near him, eager to be out of the hospital for good.

"No worries, doc. I'm sure Ayala will remind me." Ed said as he gathered all of his papers and books up. Denny came forward and relieved him of some of the burden. "Thanks, Sergeant." Doctor Overland took his word.

"Okay. Please make sure you stop by the front desk and fill out the necessary paperwork. Goodbye, Major Elric." The doctor smiled, thankful the blonde was leaving. He'd been getting crankier with every visit the doc had ended with 'sorry, you can't leave just yet'.

"We will. Thanks, doc." Ed said as he led the way to the exit and freedom. Ayala was showing her puppy-like behaviour, bouncing on her toes, trying to get Ed to go faster. Even though she was part of the driving force behind convincing Ed that staying in the hospital until the doctor said otherwise was necessary, she still didn't like being confined to the hospital having not been willing to stray to far from Ed's side. There was a quick stop at the reception desk so Ed could fill out the necessary forms and soon enough, they were outside in the afternoon sunshine, breathing in the fresh air of Central.

"Where to, Edward?" Maria asked after giving the boy and the wolf a minute to soak in the sunshine. Ed contemplated his choices for a moment.

"I guess, back to the hotel to see if they've got a room for tonight. I'll grab my crap from Hughes once he's finished work." He shrugged before remembering something. "When do you guys get off of babysitting duty?" He asked, surprised they hadn't already been pulled from guarding him.

"Actually, as soon as we drop you off at the hotel we're to report back to Major Armstrong and resume our normal duties." Denny told him and Ed nodded. As much as he'd grown to like the two of them and their Animals, he would be glad to be rid of his shadows. Ayala agreed with that. Maria had ducked back inside to order them a military car despite Ed's protests that the hotel wasn't too far and that broken ribs hadn't stopped him walking further. She gave a look Ed swore only women knew that told him to shut up and accept it so he did, much to Denny's evident amusement. Ed pretended to ignore him as they waited for their ride. They were soon piled into the car and heading for Ed's hotel. He'd never admit it out loud but the car ride was a lot nicer on his ribs than walking would've been. Once they reached the hotel, Ed and Ayala immediately hopped out and, after a quick word with the driver, the two other pairs followed him out.

"Thanks for everything and sorry for sneaking out almost getting blown up on your watch." Ed scratched the back of his neck and grinned sheepishly. Maria and Denny both cracked a smile at that.

"We certainly will never complain about being bodyguards for anyone else." Denny admitted and Ed laughed at that.

"Stay safe, Edward. We'll see you around." Maria said before suddenly wrapping him up in a hug and letting go before he had a chance to react. "Try not to get in any more trouble." She grinned slightly.

"I can promise to try. Trouble seems to follow me around." Ed laughed and the others joined in. Ajax and Kaia came forward and Ed crouched down so he could ruffle their ears.

"Thanks for all your help too, guys." He smiled at them and they leaned into his touch.

 _"Make sure you let us know when you're at the base so we can try and see you."_ Ajax told him and Ed promised.

 _"Keep safe, okay? I don't think Ayala will appreciate her fur turning grey from the stress."_ Kaia half-joked and Ed laughed before saying he couldn't make any promises. Kaia and Ayala both rolled their eyes before Kaia rejoined her human. Denny helped Ed carefully pile his books in his arms so he wouldn't drop them. With a final wave, Maria, Denny, Kaia and Ajax all climbed back into the waiting car and left Ed and Ayala alone for the first time in nearly a month.

"Let's go get a room then go and walk around for a bit. I don't know about you but the last thing I want to do right now is stay inside for a long period of time." Ed remarked and Ayala nodded enthusiastically. Ed grinned at her before heading in and nabbing a room. The hotel employee handed him the key, which he took carefully so as to not spill his books, and directed them to the room. Once he'd unloaded his burden onto his bed, Ayala and Ed immediately headed straight back outside and headed in a completely random direction.

"Hey, Ches. Just letting you know I've been released now. Tell Al I'll check for train times this afternoon and I'll let you know when I can leave." Ed contacted the leopard while they were passing by some clothing shops.

 _"Did you actually get released or did you escape?"_ Chester replied cheekily.

"I got released. You can ask Kaia or Ajax if you really want." Came Ed's reply and he could feel the smirk the leopard was undoubtedly sporting.

 _"Al said he's glad you're out and that he'll tell Winry."_ Ed flinched slightly. He hadn't even though about telling his mechanic he was out of the hospital. Oops. That actually reminded him that he should contact Leo so Hughes doesn't swing by the hospital this afternoon like he'd sometimes do. Ed quickly sent the fox a message telling him the name of the hotel he was at and Leo said he'd pass along the info before Chester started talking again. _"Al also wants to tell you that he and Winry helped delivered a baby last night."_ Uh, what?

"They did what?!" Ed practically shouted through their connection and Chester laughed uproariously at his reaction. "You gotta tell me how the fuck they managed that." Ed demanded and Ayala put in her own demand for the gossip. Chester caved and they spent the next hour and a half discussing the events of the previous night while Ed and Ayala kept up their aimless wandering. It wasn't until Chester had finished regaling them with the tale that Ed realised it had actually gotten dark and decided that they should head back to hotel so he and Ayala bade Chester a goodnight and headed back. Ed realised two things once they were nearly back; they hadn't gone to the train station and that Hughes hadn't had Leo contact him. He looked up at the sky and saw that it was well past sundown so Hughes should have definitely knocked off by now. He gave the fox until he'd reached the front of the hotel before he caved and contacted him, assuming Hughes was caught up investigating something but Leo sent him a frantic message first.

 _"Maes and I are being attacked by the woman you described! Maes uncovered something and she ambushed us but we managed to stop her. Maes got a cut on his but we've lost her. We were gonna call Mustang from the military phones but Maes has changed his mind for some reason. We're heading to Central Park to use the payphone there. Can you meet us?"_ Ed commended the fox for being as calm as he was. Central Park was a lot closer to Hughes than it was to him and Ayala but he took off running immediately, Ayala easily keeping pace with him.

"Which payphone are you heading for? We're on our way now. Make sure you keep your guard up. There are at least two of them who will not hesitate to publicaly attack you." Ed reminded him, grateful his panic didn't bleed into his voice. He knew how ruthless those two were considering how they attacked him and Chester and that was keeping in mind the fact they wanted him alive. They wouldn't hesitate to wipe out Hughes and Leo if they actually found something. Ed sped up, ignoring his screaming ribs and the aches his half-healed cuts were starting to feel. Ayala was ahead of him slightly, ready to use her sensitive nose to pick up on either Hughes, Leo or the unmistakable scent of one of those things.

 _"We're going to the one in the middle of the park, on the footpath. We're nearly there and I can sense something else nearby. I think there's another one after us. It's not the woman."_ Leo told him and Ed continued his sprint to get to Hughes before something bad happened. This is exactly why he told Hughes and Armstrong to leave it alone. If he and the Lieutenant-Colonel survived this, he was going to tell him the biggest 'I told you so' he'd ever gotten. Ayala and Ed finally reached the edge of the park and cut through it, heading for the centre, slowing only slightly so their rapid footsteps wouldn't give them away. _"Hughes is trying to get through to Mustang now. Someone's just approached. Wait, I think that's Lieutenant Ross. She doesn't smell right and I can't see or sense Kaia."_ Leo sounded extremely lost and confused. Ed and Ayala finally, _finally_ , got onto the path Leo told them about and rounded a corner only to stop short and get behind some bushes once Hughes and a blue-clad figure came into view. _"This isn't Lieutenant Ross. It's someone disguised as her!"_ Leo told him and Ed almost paused at the desperate plea for help hidden in those words.

"Go around the back of these bushes and sneak up behind whoever that is. Don't attack until I tell you too. Keep yourself hidden and wait." Ed ordered Ayala. She nodded and slinked off silently, disappearing without a trace into the darkened park. Ed moved just as quietly so he was closer to Hughes but still hidden. Timing would be everything for this plan to work. Leo could sense him, he could tell, but the fox was standing protectively in front of Hughes, though his small body offered no protection from the gun the Maria-clone was holding on Hughes. Ed couldn't hear the conversation Hughes was having, he wasn't close enough for that, but a slip of white caught his eye and evidently the enemy's.

 _"I'm right behind them. Ready when you are."_ Ed glanced over to where he guessed Ayala was and caught a glimpse of gold glinting through the bush as she shuffled slightly. Ed turned his attention back to the scene in front of his and got the shock of his life. Arcs of red light surrounded the fake Maria and suddenly Gracia was standing in front of Hughes, aiming a gun between his eyes. The only difference between this Gracia and the real one was the evil and slightly manic grin twisting her usually kind features. Ed couldn't wait any longer. With a silent shout to Ayala, Ed burst out of his hiding spot and beelined for Hughes. Fake Gracia's features were displaying pure shock and Hughes looked just as surprised. Ayala was rapidly closing ground between herself and her mark. Ed heard the sound of the gun being cocked and saw the gun being raised again. Two things happened simultaneously; Ed collided with Hughes and a gunshot rang through the park.

 **A/N- And here is the next chapter! I honestly almost stopped at the part where Leo contacted Ed but thought it'd make a much better cliffhanger if I ended it here. Does Hughes survive or not? You'll just have to wait for the next chapter. I do have some bad news. I'm house-sitting for the next week and a half and I'm not sure how good their internet is so you may have to wait a bit longer for the next chapter. Trust me though, the moment it's completed and I can post it, it will be posted. Hopefully their internet is cooperative and it'll get posted within a week. As always, thank you to every single person who has reviewed my work and/or inboxed me about it. You have no idea how much those reviews mean to me and I always appreciate every single on of them. So I hope you enjoy this chapter and if you feel like it deserves it, please let me know what you think! Thanks to those of you who have given this story a chance!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20-**

Ayala heard the gunshot heartbeats before she tackled Fake Gracia to the ground, using her teeth to tear through the back of her neck, severing her spinal cord and shredding her carotid arteries. As if they needed more proof that what they were fighting wasn't entirely human, Ayala got a mouthful of warm, foul-tasting blood before she released her kill and headed for where Ed and Maes had ended up after Ed crash-tackled him to the ground with enough force to roll both humans a few metres away from the telephone booth. Since she didn't feel anything, Ayala hoped the bullet had missed them both entirely but was disheartened to see Hughes' blue military jacket darken with red as the blood soaked it through. She checked him over while Ed picked himself up and Leo got himself standing. She was a lot happier with the wound when she realised it was a simple through-and-through in his left shoulder. He was in no immediate danger of bleeding out. She relayed this information to Ed who sighed with relief before he crawled over next to him and helped Hughes sit up. Both Animals watched in horrified amazement as red alchemic energy sparked and the only sign Ayala had done any damage was the blood that stained the ground and Fake Gracia's clothing. Ed barely glanced over as Fake Gracia picked herself up. He and Hughes hadn't said a word to each other, Hughes was a little in shock as he watched his not-wife grin maliciously as her right side was drenched in blood.

"Didn't expect to see you here, pipsqueak. Too bad that ambush will be the only time you one-up me." The _completely inaccurate_ nickname sparked realisation in Ed.

"Why don't you show us what you really look like, Palm Tree, instead of looking like a cheap copy of Gracia?" Ed snapped back and Hughes' eyes snapped to Ed.

"He's the one who attacked you in the fifth lab, right?" Ed nodded, eyes not leaving Fake-Gracia's as she shrugged and again, in a red alchemic flash, shape-shifted into the green-haired boy Ed fought against. The red energy had to be from a Philosopher's Stone and that caused Ed to come up with a plan. First things first...

"Sorry, Hughes, but I'm gonna have to borrow Leo." He whispered and raised his voice before Hughes could ask why. "Ayala, Leo?" Both Animals looked back at him from where they were standing defensively in front of the two humans. "Keep him busy until I can help." Ayala gave him a bloody grin and Leo looked a lot more ready to attack than Ed thought he would before they both launched separate yet coordinated attacks, forcing Palm Tree to fight against two vastly different fighting styles that never inhibited the other Animal.

"How are you even here? Don't get me wrong, I'm absolutely happy that you are since you just saved my life but how did you know?" Hughes asked as Ed clapped and severed the bottom half of his blue jacket.

"Leo contacted me when the woman attacked you. He told me you found something out and were going to this phone booth and Ayala and I got here as quick as we could." Ed said as he methodically tore the jacket into strips. "I hope you realise that if we both survive, I'm gonna owe you the biggest 'I told you so' ever." Ed added absentmindedly as he tugged at Hughes' jacket and removed it so he could see the wound.

"Uh, yeah, I think I'll deserve it." Hughes said, sounding like he was still slightly in shock and Ed couldn't blame him. He winced as Ed poked the wound before he tied the first strip around it. Ed suddenly flinched violently, hand going to his gut automatically, and gasped in pain as Ayala was sent flying with a particularly vicious kick to the stomach. She struggled to pick herself and Ed clapped once before facing his palms to Ayala.

"Heal!" Green light lit a path between himself and his wolf before engulfing her. Leo was still going strong, keeping their enemy focused on himself while Ayala got healed. A few seconds later, Ayala rejoined the fight and Ed turned back to his patient. He tied the remaining makeshift bandages as quickly as he could. Once he'd tied the last strip around the injury he'd gotten earlier by the woman, he helped Hughes to his feet and looked around before shoving him back towards the phone booth. He mentally called Leo over, telling Ayala to buy them some time and helped the confused Hughes into the phone booth. He almost laughed when he heard Mustang's faint voice answer the call.

"Tell Colonel Mustang what happened. I'm gonna alchemically reinforce the glass and seal you two in here." He never gave them a chance to argue before he slammed the door shut and clapped his hands and sealed the door shut. Another clap saw that the glass wouldn't break without a massive force slamming into it. He heard Hughes shouting at him but he just flashed him a quick grin before darting away and joining the fight in time to save Ayala from a blow that would've done some serious damage to the golden wolf. Hughes snatched up the phone after wasting a few seconds trying to break the glass with his one good hand.

"I'm here." Hughes said, eyes never leaving the blonde as he ducked and dodged furious blows that the green-haired man was throwing. He was slowly growing more infuriated as his blows kept missing or getting blocked by Ed's automail and the wolf was landing more blows as he was kept busy by Ed. Their enemy's red alchemy was almost constantly flaring as Ayala landing more and more injuries, occasionally landing a fatal blow which bought Ed a few seconds to breathe. Hughes heard Roy sigh on the other end of the line.

"What was that? Did I hear Fullmetal? What's going on?" Mustang asked and Hughes winced as a fist connected with Ed's jaw and sent him reeling a few feet back before he wiped the blood from the split skin and launched his own attack.

"I found something out about the group that attacked Ed and wants him as a sacrifice. I can't explain it properly over the phone but they're basically turning the whole country into a goddamn transmutation circle, Roy." Hughes told him and the silence on the other end almost had him thinking Roy had hung up except he could hear his breathing. "I don't know how but I suspect it has to do with the one who visited Ed in hospital but they found out I'd discovered what I had almost as soon as I had. The woman who attacked Ed came after me but Leo and I got out without major injuries. Leo didn't tell me but he'd contacted Ed as soon as we got away and were heading to this phone in Central Park and Ed and Ayala immediately headed for us. They barely got here in time, Roy." Hughes' voice broke a little as he realised for the first time that he'd very almost died right here in this park.

"What do you mean?" Mustang almost didn't want to ask. The way his best friend sounded almost made him bite back the question.

"The man who attacked Ed can shape-shift, Roy. While I was waiting to be connected through to you, he showed up but he looked like Lieutenant Maria Ross. He was an almost perfect copy of her but I spotted a detail he'd missed and then he transformed into Gracia and held a gun on me. I froze. I knew it wasn't her but I couldn't make myself raise a hand to defend myself. Ed came out of nowhere and knocked me down while Ayala went for her throat just as she fired. The bullet would've gone straight through my heart if Ed hadn't turned up. I got away with a flesh wound instead." Hughes had finally turned away from the fight so he could stare at Leo instead. He could still hear it going on and knew that Ed was gonna at least have some bruises to add to his list of injuries.

"Fuck, Maes." Was all Mustang said and, really, what else could he say? His best friend just told him that the only reason they were even talking right now is because his youngest subordinate almost took a bullet for him. Mustang had to calm Nala down and promise to explain everything to her later. A loud bang and a frantic yell of Ed's name brought Mustang's attention back to the phone call. "What's happened? Is Edward okay? Hughes!"

Maes barely heard Roy as he watched Ed sat slumped against the glass he'd just been thrown against. He didn't even crack the glass but the glass wasn't as kind to him. Hughes watched, horrified, as a red smear of blood formed on the glass as Ed shook his head, like he was trying to clear it. Ayala was too far away as they watched Green-Hair approach Ed, grinning gleefully, but the distance didn't stop her from trying. She raced at the figure and Ed used that distraction to put his original plan into action. He clapped his hands when Palm-Tree wasn't looking. He used the glass at his back to pull himself up into a standing position and Hughes saw more red smears from where his left hand touched the glass. Ed didn't even look back and Hughes could still hear Mustang on the other end of the phone, demanding answers. Ed still hadn't activated whatever array he'd prepared by the time he was standing straight.

"So what are you? 'Cus you sure as shit ain't human. Ayala said your blood tasted feral, like a dead animal, so what exactly are you?" Ed gasped out as Ayala backed off slightly to give their enemy the chance to answer. Palm Tree grinned.

"What? Are you telling me the oh-so-smart Fullmetal Alchemist hasn't figured this out yet? My, my. Apparently you aren't quite as genius as everyone thinks you are." He taunted as he looked at the injured, yet defiant, blonde. Ed snorted derisively.

"Well, I know you aren't human and I know a Philosopher's Stone is involved somehow. I also know that whoever created you chose the wrong inspiration unless they thought 'palm frond' was a good look." Ed smirked as he coughed. The infuriated look he got was almost worth the pain. "Maybe you don't wanna tell me because you don't know what you are. It might be too hard for you to pronounce." Ed said, mockingly thoughtful.

"I'm a homunculous, you tiny brat!" He snarled and Ed grinned in victory. Palm-Tree realised what he'd done and spat out a curse. Quicker than Ed thought possible, he launched himself at the blonde, left fist aiming a punch that would cave his skull in. Ed's surprised look and Hughes' frantic yells were short lived as the blonde caught the punch with his automail hand and activated an array.

"I don't know how you exist but I'm assuming your life is tied to that Philosopher's Stone you've been using to shape-shift and heal." Ed's eyes were hard as he stared at the trapped homunculous as his array took effect. His arm began disintegrating and he looked completely shocked, like he couldn't believe what his eyes were seeing. "I studied Marcoh's array inside and out. I developed this array so I could destroy any Stone I came up against so I could free the souls trapped inside. If I'm right, this array will kill you and any other homunculi out there." Ed said all of this as more of his body disintegrated and before he could say anything, he was gone. Ed watched as the last of his remains disintegrated into the wind before slumping against the glass fully, overcome with emotion. The souls in that stone had thanked him, they'd _thanked_ him for releasing them.

Hughes watched the blonde as he sank to the ground and wrapped his arms around Ayala. Something had upset the boy and he was determined to figure it out once he'd gotten home. He had a feeling that Ed wouldn't go to the hospital tonight, no matter what he or Ayala said, and right now Hughes just wanted to hug his wife and daughter. His attention was brought back to Roy as the Flame Alchemist practically screeched through the phone for information.

"We're okay. We've been fighting a homunculous, apparently. I don't know how he did it but Ed destroyed it. I'm gonna hang up now. I'll have Ed contact Nala when he feels up to it to explain what happened. I'll call you when I get home." Hughes told him in an almost whisper.

"Fine." Mustang wanted to protest. He wanted answers and he needed to hear Ed's voice, though he had no clue why he had such a strong desire, but he was willing to wait. "When you call me, I want to speak to Edward as well. Don't bother having him contact Nala." He told Maes who immediately chuckled knowingly.

"Of course. Talk to you tonight, Roy." Was the last thing he heard before the click of the phone call ending. Roy hung up his phone before gathering his stuff and heading home, ignoring the paperwork on his desk and Nala rushed after him. Both were desperate to hear from the blonde so they knew he really was alright.

Hughes turned away from the phone just as Ed climbed back to his feet. He watched the blonde carefully as he appeared to gather himself together before clapping his hands and slamming them against the phone booth door, unsealing it so Hughes could push it open and get out.

"Sorry about trapping yo-" Ed started apologising before he was cut off by a fierce, one-armed hug. Hughes buried his face in the blonde hair and after a few moments, he was rewarded with Ed cautiously snaking his hands around his waist and hugging him back. Leo was pressed up against Ed's flesh leg and made a grateful noise.

"Thank god you're alright. Thank you for making sure I got to see my daughter again." He whispered into the gold hair and squeezed Ed a little tighter. The alchemist's grip tightened even more and his frame trembled slightly. They stood there for a minute longer before Hughes reluctantly withdrew from the hug though he kept his hand on Ed's shoulder. "Come on. You're staying at mine tonight. I'll look at your injuries and Roy wants to talk to us about what happened." Ed didn't protest and neither did Ayala. Hughes picked up the picture he'd dropped and his bloody military jacket before leading Ed out of the park and towards his house. Leo was the only who could pass as having not been in a fight, though Hughes was going to have to heal the fox later tonight. He hadn't escaped that fight unscathed. Hughes had never been more grateful to realise his beautiful daughter would already be in bed. He didn't want to scare her.

Ed and Ayala followed behind him silently. Ayala's jaw was covered in dried blood and there was spots of blood from when she'd managed to sever an artery. Ed wasn't covered in as much blood. He had blood that dried on his hand from where it had run down his arm from a cut and a split lip. The blood from his head wound wasn't really visible if you looked at him front on. His eyes were on the bloody makeshift bandages wrapped around Hughes' shoulder and he couldn't help but feel responsible for the injury. If he'd pushed harder to get him to not look into this, if he'd been a couple seconds quicker, he wouldn't be returning home with a bullet hole in his arm.

 _"You know he doesn't blame you? Like, at all. Not even slightly. He could've listened to your warnings but he didn't."_ Leo broke him out of his thoughts and Ed was kind of shocked. Had he been accidentally talking to the Animals? Leo shook his head. _"No, I could just tell."_ That made Ed feel a little less mortified. They didn't pass many people and those they did gave them a wide berth which Ed would probably have laughed at any other time. They trudged along, not talking until they were suddenly in front of Hughes' home. Hughes used his key to enter and paused as the door opened, listening for little footsteps racing towards him. When there were none, he let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding.

"Come on in and keep quiet. Elysia is asleep." He whispered to Ed who nodded and followed him in, Ayala was sneaking as best she could. Hughes grabbed Ed's suitcase from where it had been sitting in the living room. "The shower's over there. When you come out, I'll look at your wounds. You may want to give Ayala a bath as well." He added as he glanced at the once golden wolf. Ed nodded and pulled out some sleepwear before he and Ayala disappeared. Five minutes later, Ayala emerged all clean and Hughes heard the shower start. He started looking for his wife so he could explain what had happened to her. She'd apparently heard the shower and they almost ran into each other as she headed to investigate. The warm smile and greeting she was about to bestow on her husband was lost as her eyes took in his appearance and, more importantly, his injury. Lilith was already questioning Leo.

"What happened?" She managed to hiss out, keeping her voice low so as to not wake Elysia up.

"I found out something I shouldn't of and almost paid the price for it. I'm okay though. It's just a flesh wound." Hughes assured her, placing a hand on either side of her face. She didn't look overly reassured but she kissed him back when he kissed her so he called that a win. The sound of the shower being turned off reminded Gracia of why she'd been heading that way in the first place.

"Who else is here?" She asked, looking around her husband to see if she could spot their visitor. Maes made her look back at him.

"Ed and Ayala. They're the reasons I only got a flesh wound. I should go make sure he's alright. I told him I'd look at any injuries he got." Maes said as he reluctantly moved his hands back down to his sides. Gracia raised a brow at him. "What?" He asked, almost defensively.

"You're going to look at his injuries?" She asked bemused. "You're not injuring the poor boy more than he already is. I'll look at him." She said as she headed to dig up their first aid kit. Maes made an offended noise but didn't offer any arguments since he knew she was right. "Go and make sure he's okay and tell him I'll be there in a moment. Then get yourself in the shower so I can put a proper bandage on that arm." She ordered him and he hurried to obey her. Once he'd left the room, she let a few tears escape before pulling herself together. She wouldn't cry until after she'd heard the story, until she knew there was definitely a reason for it.

Hughes headed for the bathroom and saw Ayala curled up just beside the door, waiting for her human to come out. She looked up at him when he approached but didn't really do anything else. Hughes guessed she was tired which was obviously not hard to believe. He knocked on the door and heard Ed call out.

"If you're okay with it, Gracia has offered to check your wounds. Apparently I'd just injure you more." Hughes told him just as Gracia appeared with the first aid kit.

"You don't exactly have the right touch for it, my love." She told him, patting his arm consolingly. She raised her voice so Ed could hear her. "Only if you're comfortable with it. If you'd prefer Maes, that's fine." She told him. They heard him shuffling around a bit before he opened the door. She took in his appearance, which she guessed was a lot better than it was before the shower. He'd left his hair out so it could dry and she could see at least three separate injuries.

"No, it's all good. Where do you want me?" He asked as he threw his dirty clothes in his suitcase.

"Uh uh. You can put those in the laundry. I'll wash them tomorrow." Gracia told him. "You can go sit yourself in the lounge room after that." She told him, talking over his protests. Ed looked at Maes for help.

"Don't argue with her." He laughed as he headed into the bathroom and Ed sighed as he gathered his clothes back up.

"Thanks, Miss Gracia." He said as he walked past her to get to the laundry. When he and Ayala went back to the lounge room, they sat on the couch and waited for Gracia and Lilith to join them. Lilith was the first of the pair to appear. Since their first meeting, Lilith had warmed up to Ed a lot quicker than Leo did. Gracia often commented on their friendship since Lilith hadn't become comfortable in someone's presence quite as quickly as she had with Ed.

 _"She's just helping Maes remove the dressings you put on him. She'll be here in a minute."_ Lilith told him, curling up on the chair nearest to the couch he and Ayala had claimed. Ed nodded as he dug his toes up underneath Ayala as he waited. Gracia moved through the living room, offering a small smile as she went to throw the ruined jacket and bloody strips in the bin. Ed heard the muffled sound of the shower running and Gracia reappeared with the small first aid box.

"Do you want to wait to do Hughes' arm first? Make sure you've got enough supplies? My injuries aren't that bad." Ed asked before she could start rummaging around for what she needed.

"It's fine. This isn't the only first aid kit we've got." She assured him. "Take your shirt off, please." She requested and Ed hesitated only momentarily before complying. She took in his injuries with an assessing look before grabbing some alcohol wipes and bandages. She started at the top and worked her way down. She dabbed softly at his split lip to clean it out and apologising as he winced from the sting. Gracia made him turn around so she could check the head wound that Maes had been thoughtful enough to tell her about. It wasn't bad so she just cleaned it out and left it to heal by itself. He turned back to face her and she checked his shoulder, knowing the wound on it was the one the doctors had been worried about after the laboratory incident. While it hadn't reopened, the wound was still red swollen. She couldn't do anything about it though so she moved onto the wound she could. Ed had managed to get a decent cut on his upper arm though he had no clue what caused it. Maybe a stick or piece of glass he'd landed on one of the times Palm Tree had managed to connect a blow that caused him to be thrown through the air.

"This one won't need stitches. I'm sure your doctor will be happy about that." Gracia said as she meticulously wiped the wound clean and bandaged it. "I'm going to assume you've re-broken your ribs?" She said as she took a step back so she could deal with the slight mess she'd made. He pulled his shirt back on, wincing as the movement made his ribs cry out in pain.

"Yeah. Think I managed to break a couple more." He added as Ayala whined in concern. "I'm okay, Aya. You know it's rare for me to go more than week between broken ribs." He joked and she gave him an unimpressed look. Gracia chuckled at the expression before she left to dispose of the rubbish. She went back to sit on the chair Lilith had claimed, her fox moving onto the armchair before settling into her lap once Gracia had sat. She was burning to ask what had happened but figured it'd be best to wait for her husband. Ed looked sad and she hated seeing the blonde upset but she didn't want to pry. She knew the boy hated that and he was more likely to tell her on his own terms anyway. They sat in a slightly uncomfortable silence until Hughes came to join them which he did only a couple of minutes later.

"Sit down over there." Gracia ordered, pointing to the spot Ayala hadn't managed to take up on the couch.

"Yes, dear." He did as he was told and Ayala crawled slightly into Ed's lap. "Sorry, Ayala." He apologised to the golden wolf.

"She says 'it's okay'." Ed told him, not quite meeting the older mans eyes. Hughes frowned at the boy but his attention was quickly diverted to the accidental pain Gracia caused as she cleaned his wound out. She offered a quick 'sorry' but continued with her work and deftly wrapped the bullet wound up before placing a bandage over the scratch on his arm. She gave him a quick kiss before throwing out the rubbish and returning though she had returned with three mugs of steaming tea this time. Both males happily accepted the hot drink and she settled back onto her chair before looking at Hughes expectantly. He took the hint and started talking.

"I was investigating what leads I could about the group that attacked Ed in the fifth laboratory and I found out something massive. I took what Ed said about how the Philosopher's Stones are made and that the last one was made during Ishval and I followed a hunch. There have been nine massacres, including Ishval, that could have been used to make a Stone and they all connect somehow. I can show you on a map but I really want to wait for Roy to transfer over here so I can show everyone at the same time." He said, semi-apologetically but grateful when Ed and Gracia nodded. "Thanks. Once I found this information out, I was attacked by the woman who attacked Chester. That's how I got the cut. Leo and I got away and we were going to go to the phones nearest us to contact Roy but with our suspicions about the Fuhrer, I decided to use the payphone in Central Park so as to avoid someone overhearing us. I didn't realise this but Leo had contacted Ed and Ayala to tell them we were in trouble and where we were. While Ed and Ayala were trying to get to us, someone approached us at the phone. They looked like a Lieutenant who works under Armstrong but I could tell something was wrong because she didn't have a mole on her face. When I pointed that out, she made one appear! The next thing I knew, I was looking at a perfect copy of you, Gracia." Hughes was almost ashamed. If that homunculous hadn't transformed right in front of him, he doubted he would've spotted the difference. Gracia's eyes grew wide.

"What happened then?" Gracia asked, still trying to come to terms with someone shape-shifting to look like her so they could kill her husband.

"Well, that's when Ed came in. He and Ayala came rushing out from the trees they'd been hiding behind. Ed tackled me and Ayala went for, well, your clone's throat." Hughes winced as she grimaced and reflexively covered her throat with her hand. Ed shifted uncomfortably and Ayala looked almost guilty. "Ed knocked me out of the way a split second before the gun was fired and I managed to get out of it with just this." He shifted his injured arm, just in case they didn't realise what he meant. "After Ed told him too, the person we were fighting transformed back to his original body. Leo and Ayala attacked him while Ed wrapped my arm up. Once he'd finished, he locked me and Leo in the phone booth while he joined Ayala in the fight. I don't really know much of what happened because I was on the phone to Roy. Next thing I knew, Ed was slammed against the phone booth door and was taunting his opponent into revealing some information, which worked. I don't actually know what happened but Ed used some kind of alchemy that turned him into dust. After that, we came home and you know the rest." He ended lamely but Gracia nodded.

"I killed him." Both adults looked at Ed but he was staring firmly at Ayala's fur. "He was a homunculous and his core, his life, was a Philosopher's Stone. I destroyed the stone and him and I killed every single soul still in the stone." Maes didn't know what to say in response to Ed's tone of voice. He'd known, of course, that the boy was against killing anyone. All of his fights ended with the opponent severely injured but Ed had always been careful with how badly he injured someone. Before he could even start thinking about what to say, Gracia had practically launched across the room and wrapped her arms around the teenagers neck and leaning her head against his. She earned herself a squeak of surprise and felt Ed go completely rigid from shock.

"You saved Maes' life. You saved your own life." She whispered to him, voice breaking slightly. "I know you didn't want to and I wish you didn't have to be the one who did it but by doing what you did, you saved both you and Maes, not to mention Ayala and Leo. I can't thank you enough for making sure Elysia didn't have to grow up without a father or one of her big brothers." Ed's eyes had started watering and Maes had looked away, giving them a bit of privacy as Ed buried his face into Gracia's shoulder and putting his own arms around her to hug her back. Maes pretended not to see the alchemist's shoulders shake and Gracia didn't mind that her sleeve and shoulder were growing slightly damp. Gracia vaguely wondered how long it had been since Ed had actually been held like this. Ayala pressed herself slightly more into Ed, reassuring him she was still there and she felt his gratefulness through their bond.

Ed didn't know how long he sat there, wrapped in Gracia's warm embrace, after he'd stopped crying. He felt his face grow warm as he realised he'd literally cried in her arms, in front of Maes, and he shifted slightly. Gracia got the subtle message and, after a final squeeze, unwrapped her arms from around him. She caught his face in between her hands though and his eyes flicked to hers. She used both of her thumbs to wipe stray tears from his cheeks and smiled at him. He felt his stomach drop as he was suddenly hit with a wave of nostalgia. The last time someone had done something like this for him was when his own mother had been alive and before she'd grown too weak to get out of bed.

"Are you okay?" She asked softly and Ed nodded. She gave him a small smile and he gave her an even smaller one but she seemed pleased with it. She stood up and faced her husband. "You should go call Roy. That poor man is probably worried sick about the two of you." She scolded her husband and Maes gave her a semi-guilty look. Neither of them missed the soft snort Ed gave when Gracia had said 'the two of them' but they didn't comment on it. The stubborn boy wouldn't believe them anyway.

"Come on, Ed." Maes groaned as he carefully got out of the chair. Ed gave him an 'are you serious look' and Maes' look told him he was. "Roy gave me specific instructions. He wants to hear from you as well." Ed rolled his eyes.

"He probably just wants to make sure I didn't cause a building to blow up or something." He grumbled but reluctantly got up once Maes gave him a thoroughly unimpressed look. Ayala followed with slightly more enthusiasm.

"I'll get you some bedding. You can camp on the couch as long as you need." Gracia said as she caught and gave Ed's forearm a quick squeeze.

"Thank you, Miss Gracia." She accepted his thanks with a smile and he followed Maes to his office so he could get this stupid phone call over and done with and get some sleep. It's not every day you went up against a crazed homunculous while still healing from previous injuries and then destroy said homunculous and deal with an injured friend and try to come to terms with hundreds of souls thanking you for killing them. He just wanted to sleep and Ayala whined in agreement. She just wanted her human to rest. If Mustang so much as made a joke at his expense, she swore she'd bite the older man, consequences be damned.

They made it into the office and Ed took the chance to sneak a look. He hadn't been in this office before, only having caught glimpses of the inside if the door had been left open when he, Al and their Animals had left after a visit whenever they were in Central. He was kinda disappointed. The office was slightly messy with stacked papers on the desk and files haphazardly stacked in the corner. There was a large map of Amestris with various coloured pins sticking out of it, obviously each colour corresponded to a hidden meaning and Ed had to admit he was curious about that. Hughes walked over to the phone on his desk and dialed a number. While he was waiting for Mustang to answer, Hughes indicated to the spare chair and Ed took the hint.

"Roy, it's me." Hughes' voice drew Ed's attention back to why they were actually in this room. "I'm fine. No, the wound was a through-and-through, like I said before. I probably need stitches so I'll certainly welcome a visit from Havoc when you lot get here." Hughes joked and Ed heard the muffled reply. "Yes, he's here with me. No, he's fine as well. He rebroke every rib and then some but other than that, he's just got some cuts and bruises. Yes, I'm sure. Gracia looked him over and you know no one can lie to my beautiful Gracia." Ed rolled his eyes and Maes chuckled. "Right, sorry. I guess you want a better explanation than what I gave you before?" Mustang had obviously said yes since Maes then started explaining, in a bit more detail, what had transpired that evening. Ed half listened as he gazed at nothing, lost in his own thoughts. He didn't even realise he'd started dozing off until Hughes had nudged him awake, offering him the phone. The cord could barely reach where he was sitting so he and Hughes wordlessly exchanged spots.

"'lo?" Ed said, stifling a yawn as he placed the phone to his ear.

"Fullmetal?" Mustang asked and Ed rolled his eyes.

"Who else sounds this excited about talking to you?" He couldn't help it. Maes snorted, trying to pass it off as a sneeze.

"So, you're obviously alright." Mustang commented dryly. "Tell me what happened after you locked Maes in the phone booth. He was too distracted to actually remember what you were doing." Mustang ordered and Ed sighed.

"Fine. Don't you dare interrupt me, though. I'm too tired and pissed off, got it?" Once Ed got the agreement, he started his version of the story. "Right, so after I patched Hughes up as best I could and sealed the phone booth up so he couldn't try and help me, I joined up with Ayala. We fought, well he fought and I dodged, and I tried to find an opening 'cuz I realised that the red alchemic energy was identical to what Cornello produced with that fake stone so I knew he was using a stone but I couldn't see it so I needed to get close enough to get a hand on him and activate the array. He managed to throw me at the phone box before I could but I used that to my advantage in the end. Didn't realise until he'd told me but that fucker was a homunculous. The stone was literally his life force so when I destroyed it, I killed him. That's it. Hughes and I got back to his in one piece and Gracia patched us up." Ed finished, ready to simply hang up the phone or hand it back to Hughes when Mustang's voice sounded. Ed didn't bother suppressing his groan.

"Hold on," Mustang pretended to ignore the groan. "a couple of things before you can go."

"What?" Ed snarled, his irritation getting the better of him.

"Why didn't you fight back? You said, and I quote, 'he fought and I dodged'." Mustang asked, concerned. If Ed didn't fight back, there had to be an underlying reason.

"Seriously? I nearly had my good fucking arm hacked off less than a month ago, remember? That wound isn't healed fully and because of the way I normally fight, I had to stick to dodging so I didn't get chucked back into hospital." Ed told him, none too nicely and Hughes almost wanted to take the phone back. Evidently, the blonde was not pleasant to talk to when he was overtired.

"Okay. Next thing, how did you destroy the stone? I didn't think that was possible." Mustang admitted, not caring that he kinda admitted the blonde was smarter than him.

"After you left Central, Al and I started coming up with an array that could destroy a stone and release the souls still trapped. We had Doctor Marcoh's research and we had the array to build the stone. We just reversed-engineered it. I guess I get to brag that my idea worked to Al when I join him in Rush Valley." Ed almost managed a smile at that. He couldn't wait to get back to Al.

"You seriously managed to figure out an array to destroy the perfect material in less than three weeks?" Mustang asked and he actually sounded impressed. Ed tried not to feel too proud of that.

"Don't doubt the Elric genius." Ed told him. "Is that it or was there something else you absolutely must know right now?" He asked, irritation coming back when he remembered he was tired.

"Last thing." Mustang promised. "Consider this an order. You are to stay with Hughes until I get to Central. Our transfer is nearly complete and we should arrive within in the next two, three days at the most." Ed couldn't believe his ears.

"Are you fucking kidding me? I just got attacked by a psycho homunculous and there at least two more out there and Al and Chester are by themselves!" He protested and Ayala felt herself getting angry. She just wished Ed's commanding officer were saying this in person so she could show her displeasure.

"Enough, Fullmetal. Send your brother to your teacher. I know that was your original plan. I'm sure she can help look out for him. You are to stay in Central until further notice. Do you understand?" Mustang's superior officer tone made Ed wish he could send alchemy down the phone line. Then again, with how pissed off he was, it was probably a good thing it wasn't possible.

"The only reason I was able to one up that homunculous tonight is because I don't have to draw out my arrays. Al doesn't have that. So I will stay in Central but let me tell you right now, if Al gets hurt or killed, you will be the one to pay for it." His voice was calm and deadly serious, not even shaking from the anger he felt. He slammed the phone onto the desk, not hanging up in case Hughes still needed to talk to the arsehole before he stormed out of the room, an equally angry Ayala following him. He didn't glance at Hughes on his way out and the older man didn't bother stopping him.

He flopped gracelessly onto the couch he was going to be camping on for the next couple of nights and huffed. Ayala watched him settle before climbing up and curling up at his feet, resting her head on his legs. Gracia and Lilith were nowhere to be seen which Ed was grateful for. Leo and Hughes hadn't followed him out yet so Ed assumed Hughes was talking to Mustang again. Now that he'd had a few moments to calm down, he was worried he'd crossed the line. He'd never threatened Mustang outright before, no matter how much the older man had pissed him off.

"Do you think I overreacted?" Ed asked Ayala, causing her to lift her head up and look at him thoughtfully.

 _"Given the circumstances, I'd say no."_ She told him honestly. _"But you do realise you need to tell Chester and Al what happened, right? Chester will have definitely felt your broken ribs at least and they need to know what Mustang ordered you to do."_ He made a face at her suggestion and, while she could sympathise, it didn't change her mind. He sighed and contacted Chester. His wolf was right after all.

"Chester? You awake?" He asked and felt the leopard respond immediately. Evidently, he was.

 _"Yeah. What's wrong? I felt you break more ribs. What did you get yourself into now?"_ Chester asked and Ed wasn't certain whether he should be insulted that the leopard automatically assumed he was the one who caused the trouble. Though, he did have to admit that the leopard had several good examples to back up his assumptions so he let it slide.

"I swear, this time, I didn't start it." He heard Chester chuckle and Ed felt his mood lighten a little. "Hughes was almost killed by Palm Tree." He admitted quietly and he felt the leopard's shock.

 _"Is he okay? Are you okay?"_ Chester asked quickly.

"Yeah, we're both alive. You need to tell Al this though, okay?" Chester agreed immediately. "Tell him that we're up against homunculi and that the array we developed will destroy them. Their life force is tied to a stone. Also, and trust me I will punch him for this, Mustang has ordered me to stay in Central for the time being. I need you and Al to go to Dublith and fill Teacher in on everything." Ed felt Chester's disbelief at his orders but the silence meant he was passing the message along like Ed had asked.

 _"Al said he'll leave for Dublith in the morning. He'll pass along your message to Teacher and he'll tell her everything, including the new array, just in case. He says he'll miss you and that he's really glad you and Mr Hughes weren't badly injured though he does wish you could go longer than a week between injuries. Also, he says you're not allowed to injure Colonel Mustang for any reason."_ Chester repeated back, amusement evident in his voice.

"Okay, first off; rude. Secondly, I'm the older brother here so he can't boss me around! Thirdly, I didn't leave the hospital with immediate thoughts of trying to go back." Ed informed him haughtily and the leopard and his wolf both laughed at his pout. He stuck his tongue out at Ayala.

 _"Don't shoot the messenger, Ed. Plus, I told Al that you didn't try and find trouble this time and he has requested that you call him tomorrow and tell him everything that's happened."_ Chester told him and Ed sighed. He was terrible at remembering to do things like call people.

 _"I'll remind him in the morning."_ Ayala told both of them and Ed gave her a grateful smile.

"So what's been happening in Rush Valley? Has Winry driven you mental with all the automail there?" Ed asked now that the serious side of this conversation was done.

 _"I didn't think it was possible for someone and their Animal to actually become so obsessed with the same thing. I think their mutual appreciation actually encourages them to become even more enthralled in the subject. It gets kinda scary after a while. Al and I actually had to leave when they got worked up over this particular trick Garfiel showed them."_ Ed and Ayala laughed at him and it was the leopard's turn to pout.

"Who's Garfiel?" Ed asked, not recognising the name from any updates Chester had given him.

 _"Oh, he's the man Winry's apprenticing under. She started working under him today."_ Chester explained and Ed nodded in understanding, even though he knew the leopard couldn't see the action. _"From what I hear, she's lucky to be working under him. Apparently, he's one of the best automail mechanics in Amestris."_ Chester informed him.

"Well, I guess that's good for her. She and Michella are probably having tonnes of fun geeking out." Ed stifled a yawn.

 _"Go to bed, Edward. Don't argue. I can sense how tired you are."_ Chester smirked as he felt Ed's protest coming. _"Al says you gotta."_

"Again; I'm the big brother here!" Ed argued but Chester just laughed at him.

 _"Good night, Ed."_ He said, voice still chuckling with amusement.

"Whatever. Night." Ed huffed before breaking their connection. He got himself comfortable again and Ayala ended up having to get off the couch while he threw the blanket over himself to avoid being covered herself. She got back up as soon as he stopped squirming to get as comfortable as possible and not break his ribs even more in the process. Ed was starting to drift off when a sudden noise nearby had him sitting up, something his ribs yelled at him for, and looking around for the threat. The threat turned out to be a very startled Hughes and amused Leo.

 _"I told you he'd hear you."_ Leo smirked, proud of himself.

"It's generally considered a bad idea to sneak up on someone who could kill you with a clap of his hands." Ed remarked and Hughes looked slightly sheepish. "What's up?" He asked, genuinely curious as to why Hughes was sneaking around.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay." Hughes said as he crouched so he was eye level with Ed.

"Well, yeah. It's not the first time I've been in a fight. It wasn't even the worst fight I've been in." Ed frowned. Hughes had literally witnessed the aftermath of one of his worse fights only a couple weeks ago.

"No, I meant if you were okay after your conversation with Roy." Hughes corrected and Ed realised that that made a lot more sense.

"Oh." Ed shrugged. "I'm fine. Al's okay with it. I'm almost glad I'm not with him to face Teacher after she finds out what we did and that I joined the military." Ed grimaced as he imagined the beat down Al would get.

"She's that scary, huh?" Maes asked, a little intrigued. They boys didn't talk about their Teacher much. They said it's because they wouldn't be the ones to put the military onto her since she's an excellent alchemist but Maes believed it was just because they were terrified she'd leap out from behind something and attack.

"You know how Miss Riza gets when Mustang really pisses her off?" Ed asked and Hughes nodded. He'd witnessed several of Roy's reintroduction's to Hawkeye's guns. "Teacher's scarier on her good days." Well, that was not a pleasant piece of information. He couldn't imagine any scarier than Hawkeye on her bad days.

"Are you sure Al and Chester will be okay by himself with her?" Maes was genuinely concerned for the armour. Ed was happy that Maes cared enough for Al and Chester to be concerned for their safety.

"Nah, they'll be fine. She wouldn't kill them. She won't even be able to hurt Al." Ed reminded him before he paled slightly at a sudden realisation. "She might kill me though. When I go back to Teacher's, I'm so royally fucked." Maes patted his automail shoulder soothingly.

"I'm sure she won't kill you. Ayala certainly wouldn't let her." Hughes reassured him. He at least hoped Ed's teacher wouldn't actually kill him. The silence grew between them and Ed glanced at Hughes to see that he was deep in thought.

"Hughes? Was there something else?" Ed asked, a little worried. Was Hughes going to blame him for the fact he got shot? He knew he should've moved earlier. If he had, Hughes wouldn't have gotten hurt and Gracia wouldn't have... and there was a pair of arms wrapped around him again for the second time tonight. And for the second time tonight, Ed found himself not knowing how to react straight away. He did react a little faster than he had to Gracia's hug and wrapped his arms around Hughes' waist, though his grip was light and hesitant. "Are you okay?" Ed asked, looking at Ayala and Leo for help. Neither Animal offered him any. Hughes pushed him away but still held him by his shoulders, though his hold was light on his flesh shoulder.

"Yes." Hughes smiled and Ed was shocked to see his eyes glisten with unshed tears. "I- just... thank you, Ed. Thank you for being there. You gave me another chance to see Elysia grow up and to spend more time with Gracia. You gave me the chance to take even more photos to show Roy." He grinned and Ed couldn't help but chuckle at that. That was almost worth not hitting him for the order he'd just given Ed. "I know you blame yourself for the fact that I got shot at all. Don't look at Leo like that, I figured it out on my own. I know what you're like. But I'm telling you now; I'd rather a bullet hole through my arm than my heart. I know Gracia and Elysia would prefer that too. So please stop beating yourself up?" He requesting, using puppy-dog eyes that Ed honestly thought needed work but he relented anyway.

"Okay. But only on one condition." Hughes raised an interested brow and Ed grinned. "You have to absolutely torture Mustang with photos when the transfer's complete." Hughes' grin was kinda evil when he pretended to think the deal over.

"Deal." He held his hand out as a formal agreement and Ed shook it. "Now, get some sleep before my precious princess wakes up in the morning and finds out you're here." Ed grinned. He'd never minded Elysia's early wake up squeals of excitement when she found out her big brothers stayed the night without her knowing. Ayala thought it was cute though she could do without the squeals. Her ears already hurt just from thinking about them. "Good night, Ed." Hughes said as he and Leo headed out of the living room, turning lights off as they left.

"Night, Maes." Came the soft reply as Ed finally went to sleep, Ayala following his example not too long after.

 _One day_ , Ayala thought, _this child will succeed in reaching the correct pitch to make my ears bleed._ She was interrupted from her musings as Ed woke up and greeted the nearly five year old who was trying to make every canine suffer within a five mile radius from her squeals.

"BIG BROTHER ED! YOU'RE HERE!" She glomped herself onto Ed's neck with a vice like grip before spotting the golden wolf. "AYALA, YOU'RE HERE TOO!" And then it was the wolf's turn to be glomped on. At least Elysia was big enough to wrap her arms around her neck without taking fur now. Ed grinned at the little girl while he got himself sitting up carefully.

"Hey, Elysia." Ed greeted her, effectively capturing her attention. "Do you remember what I said last time you woke us up?" Elysia's chubby face screwed up in concentration as she tried to remember before her mind latched onto something.

"Yeah! You said that Ayala's ears picked up noises better than ours so we shouldn't yell when we're close to her." She repeated and then realised what she said. She turned her guilty face to Ayala. "Sorry, Ayala. I forgot." She mumbled out, removing her arms from the wolf. Ayala sighed before turning to Ed.

 _"Tell her I forgive her."_ Ayala couldn't let the little girl look so sad in front of her. Curse those chubby cheeks. Ed grinned.

"You're a big softie." He told her before talking out loud for Elysia. "Ayala says that she forgives you. You just gotta remember what I said." Elysia's big, grateful grin almost made up for the near-bleeding ears. Almost.

"I promise!" She crossed her heart with a finger and Ed had to smile at the seriousness of her voice and face.

"Hey, are your parents up yet?" He asked the little girl as he swung his feet off the couch so he was sitting instead of laying down, wincing as his muscles protested the movement slightly.

"Nope." Elysia told him and Ed nodded.

"Okay. You stay here with Ayala while I get dressed, alright?" She nodded as she clambered up next to the wolf and Ed gave her a smile before getting up cautiously. Rebroken and freshly broken ribs were not something he enjoyed. Being the naturally observant child she was, Elysia noticed the odd way Ed moved, holding his side as he crouched in front of his suitcase to get his clothes out.

"Are you okay, big brother?" She asked, worry tainting her voice. Ed looked over at her and gave her his best smile.

"Course I am. Your big brother's always okay. Remember to stay with Ayala." He reminded her before heading to the bathroom. Getting changed was difficult and braiding his hair was even less fun but he managed. When he headed back into the lounge room he saw Ayala was being entertained by Elysia, who was telling her some sort of fascinating story. Ed dumped his pajamas on his suitcase and glanced at the clock. If Elysia wasn't so cute, he might be tempted to get up her for waking him at 5:30am. Gracia probably would be up soon. She had the uncanny ability to always know when her child was awake. He was surprised neither adult had been awoken by the squealing.

"Hey, Elysia?" The little girl turned to him. "What do you want for breakfast?" Her eyes lit up she realised Ed was going to cook for her.

"Scrambled eggs! You always make the bestest scrambled eggs!" She bounced enthusiastically on her spot on the couch.

"Okay, scrambled eggs it is. How about you get changed out of your jammies while I get started?" He suggested and she looked down to see she was still clad in her pajama dress.

"Okay!" She agreed, jumping from the couch and tearing out of the lounge room just as fast as her legs could carry her.

"Do you want some scrambled eggs too, Ayala?" Ed asked as he headed for the kitchen.

 _"Of course I do. That's a stupid question."_ She told him as she leapt from the couch to follow him. He started grabbing things he needed and she helped with what she could. He'd just finished chopping and mixing all the ingredients together when they heard the telltale footsteps of Elysia heading for them. She stopped just next to Ayala and watched Ed for a few seconds.

"Can I help?" She asked hopefully. Ed thought for a moment.

"I'm nearly done but how about you find some juice or something in the fridge for us to drink?" He suggested and she headed to the fridge to fulfill her mission. The eggs were done by the time she found and grabbed the orange juice out of the fridge. Ayala shut the door for her since she had to use both hands just to carry the juice. Ed finished serving up the eggs and glanced at her. "Good job! Now let's go put it on the table and I'll grab some cups." He smiled at her and she headed for the table while he balanced the three plates and followed her. She managed to get up on her chair and place the bottle on the table with no accidents and Ed placed the food before leaving and returning with cups and utensils. He'd just placed Ayala's plate on the ground and started pouring juice when both adults came down the stairs.

"Morning mummy and daddy! Big brother made scrambled eggs!" Elysia said delightedly as she spotted her parents in the doorway.

"I can see that." Gracia said as Maes scrubbed at his face in an attempt to wake up a bit more.

"There's enough left in the kitchen if you want some." Ed offered, gesturing to the kitchen. That was all Hughes needed to hear as he headed for the food.

"Thank you, Ed. You didn't have to cook, you know." Gracia reminded him and he shrugged.

"Well, Elysia asked and I didn't mind." He told her as he poured himself some more juice. Elysia was happily digging into her eggs and Gracia disappeared into the kitchen to make sure Maes left enough for the foxes and herself. They rejoined them in the dining room and dug in. Maes told him he was allowed to make scrambled eggs every morning for breakfast and Ed felt himself flush slightly at the compliment.

"What are your plans for today, Edward?" Hughes asked as he polished off the last of his breakfast.

"I was hoping I could just stay here for the day, if it's no bother? I have to call Al sometime today as well." He asked.

"Of course it's no problem, Ed. You're never a bother." Gracia assured him gently.

"I dunno. It depends on who you ask." Ed smirked and Hughes struggled not to laugh. "But thanks, Miss Gracia." Elysia looked up from the forkful of food she was about to eat.

"You're gonna be here the whole day?" She asked, eyes twinkling with excitement.

"Yup. I'll even stay the night again." He told her and she smiled happily before remembering she still had food in front of her and getting back to the task of finishing it.

"Well, I gotta get ready for work." Hughes said as he pushed himself out of his chair. Ed balked but Gracia was the first to speak.

"I don't think you should go back into work today. Not with that arm. Any doctor would tell you to take a couple of days off, at the very least." She frowned at him. She had a point. Ed couldn't keep the worry off his face. What if the woman or one of the others came back? Ed wouldn't be able to get there quick enough to help him. Maes took in what his wife said and Ed's expression before he grinned.

"Guess I'll be staying home for the day." He declared and he saw the tension leave Ed's shoulders a little.

"Really?" Elysia asked and when Maes nodded, she squealed in delight. "A day with daddy and big brother Ed!" She clapped excitedly.

"That's right, princess! Daddy's just gotta go make a phone call but I'll be back, okay?" He told her and she nodded her head. "You think about what you want to do today while I'm doing that." He ruffled her hair as he went past her, making her giggle. Gracia stood and started collecting the dirty dishes while Elysia started talking about the things she wanted to do today.

"I can clean up, Miss Gracia." Ed told her, half-rising out of his seat so he could take the stuff from her.

"It's okay, Ed. You cooked." She smiled at him.

"Are you sure?" He asked, still reaching for things to grab to help out.

"Ed, you don't argue with mummy." Elysia broke in with a scolding voice. Ed backed off with his hands raised submissively.

"You heard the boss. No arguing." Gracia smirked at him and headed for the kitchen. Ayala laughed at his scowl which caused him to poke his tongue out at her. Hughes reappeared from making his phone call.

"Do you mind if I steal your phone?" Ed asked, standing up.

"Yeah, go ahead." Hughes told him, knowing he wanted to get on the phone to Al as soon as possible. Ed gave him a quick thanks and he and Ayala headed for the office. He went to go dial when he realised he had no idea what phone number to dial.

"Hey, Ches, can you get Al to contact me on Hughes' number? I don't know what number to call." He explained a little sheepishly. He felt the leopards amusement before he replied.

 _"He's calling you now."_ Chester informed a second before the phone rang.

"Al?" Ed asked as soon as he picked up the phone.

"Hey, brother." Al greeted and Ed only had to wait all of a second for Al to ask the question they both knew was coming. "Did you seriously get into a fight only a few hours after being released from the hospital?"

"Well, you see, this time it was in no way my fault whatsoever." Ed defended himself and Al sighed.

"What happened this time?" Al asked resigned to the fact his brother couldn't go anywhere without getting injured.

"Didn't Chester tell you already?" Ed asked. He had told Chester to pass along the facts of the fight.

"Yes, but I want to hear it from you." Al told him and Ed decided to humour his little brother.

"Well, not only am I, possibly both of us, being considered sacrifices by a set of psychos, those psychos just so happen to be near-immortal homunculi. I went up against Palm Tree again last night and he told me what he was." Ed heard Al's gasp. "Look, it's not all bad. I know our array works now."

"The one we came up with to destroy Philosopher's Stones?" Al asked.

"Yup. Like I told Chester, the homunculi each have a stone. It's their life force and it's how they can heal so quickly and use some of their abilities." Ed told him. "Destroying the stone kills them. Just..." He trailed off, not really wanting to tell Al but he didn't want him to be caught off guard like he had been.

"Just what?" Al asked, a little worried.

"Look, I don't know if I imagined it or if it was just this stone or if it will happen with every stone but when I destroyed it, every single soul left thanked me. I just wanted you to know because it really threw me." Ed admitted quietly. He honestly wasn't sure if he'd get over that.

"Brother..." Al sounded worried for him.

"I'm okay, Al. I just wanted you to know. When you get to Teacher's, make sure you show her the array and tell her about the stone and the homunculi. Tell her everything. Though she probably knows it all by now." Ed joked and Al let out a weak chuckle. "Do you know when you're gonna leave Rush Valley yet?" Ed asked, changing the subject a little.

"Yeah, there's a train leaving in a couple of hours for Dublith. Chester and I'll hop on that one. We should be at Teacher's by tonight. I'll make sure Chester lets you know when we have." Al promised him.

"I almost don't envy you, you know." Ed joked. "You're gonna have to face Teacher's wrath with just Chester. She's gonna be so mad when she finds out what we did."

"Oh man." Al sounded scared. "But she can't actually physically hurt me. I guess that's a bonus of this body. Brother, you realise she's gonna be twice as mad with you though? Especially when she finds out that you're not there because you were ordered to stay in Central." Al asked now worried about his brother's life expectancy.

"I know, Al. I've come to terms with the fact that I probably won't survive seeing Teacher again." Ed said solemnly.

"That's assuming you don't pick a fight with the wrong person beforehand." Al teased.

"Hey! I didn't pick this fight! And I barely picked any of the other fights. Not my fault people believe resisting arrest is the way to go." Ed huffed, a little annoyed. Al laughed at him ad Ed smiled a little at the sound. "What's happened your end? I heard Winry's driving you made with automail facts." Ed really didn't envy him there.

"Yeah, she's very excited about being Garfiel's apprentice. He's really good, too. She said she's already learned loads from him. Like, did you know there was a specific automail designed for cold weather, like North City cold, so that anyone who has automail doesn't get frostbite easily? Even though she'd heard about it, Winry says she's never made it so she's really excited about learning too. It'll mean she could cater to more clients." Al rambled slightly.

"No, I didn't know that but I'm glad she's gonna learn to make it. One of these days I'll probably need a set." Ed was almost positive he would. That was just how his luck went. "You be careful, Al. Any more time with her and you'll turn into a crazy gearhead as well." He joked.

"I think I'll be fine, brother." Al reassured him, amusement tinging his voice. "What are you gonna do until Colonel Mustang shows up and Mr Hughes can finally show you what he found out?" Ed groaned as he leant back in the chair.

"I don't know. It depends if that arsehole decides I'm allowed to leave Central. I guess, if you're still at Teacher's, I'll catch up with there. If not, well, I'll figure something out. We've still gotta figure out a way to get you back to normal with a stone that isn't made with people." Ed sighed. "I almost wish we'd never run into Marcoh and gotten his notes."

"I know but we can't change the past." Al reminded him gently. "Besides, I'm glad we know what we know. Because of those notes, we have a way to take care of the homunculi." He pointed out and Ed smiled.

"You're always looking for that silver line, aren't you?" Ed asked and Al chuckled softly.

"Well, one of us has to be an optimist and you seem pretty set on being the pessimist." Al teased and Ed had to give him that. They stayed on the phone for over an hour before Ed said that Al should probably go so he had enough time to say goodbye to Winry so he didn't suffer her wrath. Once they'd hung up, Ed headed back out to the lounge room, assuming that's where the Hughes family was likely to be.

For the morning, Hughes and Elysia entertained Ed and Ayala with stories and reenactments of some of their adventures, courtesy of Elysia's imagination. Maes naturally had his camera the entire time and he was certain he'd gotten some great shots of Ed and Elysia together. Ed was almost pulled into the stories but Maes told Elysia that Ed was still recovering from being in the hospital. She pouted then asked if Ayala could play. Ed knew he'd pay for this later but he said the wolf would love too. If looks could kill, Ed would've died under that golden glare as she nimbly dropped off the couch and approached the little girl. Two minutes later, Ayala was dressed in a pair of butterfly wings and asked to be the dragon they were fighting. At least she had the thoroughly pissed-off look down. Maes got photos of that too. Gracia rescued her only a little while later with the announcement that lunch was ready. Ed helped her out of the wings and had to give her half of one of his sandwiches to ensure her forgiveness. Gracia once again booted him out of the kitchen when he tried to help clean up.

Elysia went down for a nap not long after lunch, much to Ayala's relief. The wolf may love that little girl almost as much as she loved Al but there was only so much humiliation she would take in order to keep the child happy. Ed was reading now that it was silent and in order for Ayala to read as well, he had to use her as a pillow or his ribs would protest. Hughes was using the time to catch up on some paperwork in his office though he did bring it out to the lounge room and used the coffee table. Gracia was doing housework and refused Ed and Maes' help when they offered. They eventually got the hint and left her to ask if she needed the help. Elysia woke up a couple hours later but she decided she'd had enough of story telling and wanted to do some arts and crafts. Maes shared half the coffee table for her artistic needs and she went and found her colouring things before sitting down to work. By mid-afternoon, Maes, Ayala and Ed had been gifted half a dozen pictures each and she'd drawn a few for Ed to give to Al, something that Maes damn near melted at with the sweetness that was his little girl. Ed almost threatened the camera, he was taking that many photos. Ed figured the camera would probably blow up from overuse, if he was lucky.

Gracia cooked meatballs and spaghetti for them for dinner and Ed was honestly certain he'd never eaten anything quite as good as them since the last time his mother had cooked them. Elysia had naturally made a mess of them and even managed to get some of her dinner on Leo, something the fox looked overly used to. After dinner, Gracia made Elysia go for a shower and Maes, Ed, Ayala and the two foxes migrated back to the lounge room. 15 minutes after the change in scenery, Hughes was forced to get up and answer the phone. Ed just continued his reading until Elysia and Gracia rejoined them. Elysia was happy to continue the drawing she hadn't finished before but after she was done, she demanded Ed show her alchemy tricks. He told her she had to go get things that could be transmuted so she headed for different rooms to find things. Gracia had to stop her from sacrificing ornaments or clothing she'd grabbed. Maes slipped back into the room as Elysia finished spreading her spoils on the floor in front of Ed's couch. He carefully lowered himself to the ground and couldn't quite stop a grimace as his ribs ground against each other in protest.

Once on the ground, he overlooked his supplies before asking Elysia what she wanted him to make. It took her a couple of minutes and few shot down ideas before they settled on things Ed could actually make out of the available materials. She was exceptionally pleased with the doll that looked like her that had caused Ed to have flashbacks to when he and Al had tried creating a doll for Winry and absolutely scaring the crap out of her. Ed would have to tell her about this. Ayala told him he'd probably end up with a caved in skull. He decided he'd let Elysia tell her when the blonde mechanic visited the Hughes' again. Ed also created little figurines for her. She'd asked for little versions of Ayala, Leo, Chester, Nala and Michella. Ayala had decided the fact that Elysia wanted a small version of the golden wolf first had made up for the butterfly wings.

Eventually, Ed was forced to stop his alchemy tricks after a rather impressive display of water manipulation once Gracia had realised how late it had gotten and informed Elysia she had to go to bed. She put up a small fuss but relented when she realised her mum wasn't going to give in and, after a stern look from his wife, Maes told her she needed to go to bed as well. She pouted in annoyance but eventually gave them all a good night hug before gathering her little presents up and leading her parents up to her room so Gracia could tuck her in and Maes could read her two bedtime stories because he didn't read her one the night before. Ed used the opportunity to go for a shower and get himself ready to turn in for the night. Ayala snuck outside to enjoy the fresh air and make sure there was nothing that could pose a danger to Ed or the Hughes'. She headed back inside when she sensed Ed was heading out of the bathroom.

"Perimeter secure?" Ed asked teasingly as they both entered the living room at the same time.

 _"Naturally. Anything that could've posed a threat were obviously scared off by how fierce I am."_ She informed him and Ed snorted in amusement.

"Of course. Who's dumb enough to go up against a wolf who let a five year old dress her in butterfly wings?" Ed smirked at her and she growled.

 _"You're lucky you're already injured or I'd bite you."_ She informed him haughtily and Ed grinned at her.

"Of course you would. Consider me warned for next time." Ed ruffled her ears as he sat himself down carefully so he could comb out his hair. An action this simple certainly proved difficult as either his should wound or his ribs pulled at the movement. He'd just thrown his comb back at his suitcase, obviously with perfect aim, when Gracia passed him to use the shower. Maes didn't emerge from Elysia's room until after Gracia had finished her shower and his daughter had actually fallen asleep. Gracia had made them all cups of their chosen hot drink by the time Maes had emerged from the bathroom himself.

"So that was Major Armstrong on the phone." Maes said casually after taking a sip of his coffee. Ed perked at the mention of Armstrong's name. He hadn't seen the other alchemist since the Fuhrer dropped in on him at the hospital. "The Fuhrer was right. Anyone who worked under Doctor Marcoh during Ishval have disappeared without a trace. Armstrong's been asking around and no one knows anything about anything apparently. He tried finding Doctor Marcoh again, to see if he had any idea, but he's disappeared as well. Armstrong said that his place looked tidy but Gary could sense the lingering scent of whoever burnt down the first branch so they don't think he went willingly. From how weak the scent of Marcoh and this homunculous is, Gary thinks they've been gone weeks. Armstrong asked the townspeople and they confirmed the doctor hadn't been seen since your visit."

"Fuck." Ed cursed. "You never once sensed a homunculous following us to Resembool, right?" He asked Ayala who screwed her eyes shut as she tried to remember. Eventually she came up with nothing. She shook her head and Ed sighed. "So, what? It was just bad timing? They found him the same day we ran into him?" Ed didn't believe in coincidences but if they'd been followed, Ayala and Chester would've picked up the scent.

"He could still be alive." Maes offered optimistically. "He is the leading researcher on the stone. They're probably using him to create more." He rationalised.

"Yeah. I can't even contact his Animal. We never completed our bond. I spoke to her but she never spoke back. I need that connection to be completed while both the Animal and I can still see each other or it doesn't take. I've got no way of finding him to get him away from them except to ask the next homunculous I go up against. Something tells me that conversation won't go my way." Ed rubbed his eyes as he placed his empty mug onto the coffee table. "Did Armstrong say anything else?" Ed asked as he sat back against the couch.

"No." Hughes shook his head. "He just wished me a speedy recovery from my cold." He half smirked and Ed rolled his eyes.

"Seriously?" He asked. "That's the story you gave them?" Hughes shrugged in response. "I would've thought you would've been more inventive in your fake illnesses to get out of work."

"What can I say? No one wants someone who's got something as easily spread as a cold in the office and risk more officers." Hughes pointed out and Ed let him have that one.

"At least you didn't try pulling something stupid like Mustang tried once." Ed commented and Maes leant forward, obviously interested.

"What did he try? He asked, eager for anything embarrassing his best friend had done. Even Gracia couldn't hide her interest. Ed grinned.

"Okay so I had gone into the office 'cuz I was bored and Mustang had decided he needed to see me for a report that was overdue. So I go in nice and early so I'd have the rest of the day to myself, right? So, naturally, he isn't in yet and Hawkeye gets a phone call and you can immediately tell it's Mustang because she's not impressed with whoever's on the other end of the line. Anyway, we can't hear what Mustang is saying but Hawkeye gets confused and says 'what is papyrophobia, exactly?' and I almost died laughing so she turns to me and looks at me for an answer. He was trying to claim he was scared of paper so he could avoid paperwork." Ed told them, laughing. He was joined by Hughes roaring with laughter and Gracia trying to stifle her own so she didn't wake Elysia.

"That's classic. What did Hawkeye do?" Hughes asked once he'd gotten his laughter under control.

"Well, her face went blank and she turned back to the phone and told Mustang he had half an hour to get to the office and start on his paperwork before she came and got him. He got there in the given time but Hawkeye was very irate with him for the rest of the day, I heard. He didn't live that down for a while." Ed said as he chuckled at the memory.

"I can imagine. Poor Riza. I swear, someday's, it's like she's in charge of five children instead of soldiers." Gracia could sympathise to a certain degree. Maes was still cackling at the mental image he'd managed on the scene Ed had described. She looked at him like she rested her case and Ed snorted at her while she shot him a quick grin. Maes never noticed the exchange.

They chatted some more and Ed got a few embarrassing stories out of Hughes about Mustang when he was younger before Gracia and Maes decided they should go to bed so they'd hopefully wake up to their child in the morning before she woke Ayala and Ed. Ed got himself comfortable on the couch and Gracia turned the lights off and they wished each other good night. Ed fell asleep almost straight away but Ayala stayed up a little longer. She wondered if Ed realised how happy he was here, surrounding by two people who obviously cared about him as a person and treated him as though he was family and had a little girl who looked up to him with the wonder and awe of a younger sibling who worshiped everything their older sibling did. She sighed as she lay her head on her boy's legs. It would be hard for her to watch Ed go from this and back to a soldier when Mustang's transfer was complete.

 **A/N - Okay, so I have some slightly cooperative internet here so you guys get the next chapter sooner than I thought you would. Obviously, from this point on, there will be extreme canon divergence so here's your heads up. There might still be some scenes from the anime but not many. I really hope this new chapter is as good as the last 19 of them. Please let me know what you think in reviews! I really, really appreciate them all!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21-**

It took three more days for Mustang's team to be transferred up to Central. To say Ed was unimpressed was a vast understatement. The only upside to his imprisonment was that he got to spend more time with the Hughes', Elysia especially. Maes had to go back to work after only two days of sick leave and that was how Ed found out Mustang was scheduled to arrive the next day. Hughes had returned home from work in a more exuberant mood than normal and it didn't take much prying for Gracia and Ed to find out it was because his best friend was arriving in the morning.

"You remember our deal right?" Ed asked, smirk already in place and Maes pulled out a fat pile of photos from his pocket and smirked back.

"I remembered and am prepared." Gracia almost felt sorry for Mustang until she realised it could have been worse. Ed could be exacting his revenge his own way. She'd heard the start of the plans from Lilith who'd overheard them when Ed was taking to Ayala and didn't realise she was in the room. They didn't sound like Mustang would've made it out intact. Gracia was fairly certain his plans were just a way to let off steam. That's what she hoped at least.

Ed had nodded his satisfaction with the sheer size of the pile of photos before going back to playing with Elysia. The little girl had been extremely strict with Ed and what he could do once she'd figured out he'd hurt his ribs. Gracia would've been more impressed with her daughter's worry for Ed's health if she hadn't been so cute when reprimanding Ed when he'd tried to be a bit more involved in the game and forgot about his ribs being broken, causing himself and Ayala to both feel the painful reminder. There was nothing quite as adorable as a five-year-old getting up someone like Edward. Ayala thought it was hilarious, especially when Elysia had adopted the typical pose for getting up someone; one hand on her hip and the other pointing an accusing finger with her chubby cheeks puffed out in anger. Maes had regretted not being able to take photos of this scene but Ed had threatened his cameras life the last time he took pictures of him and Elysia playing together. Those photos were included in the pile Maes planned to show Roy, unbeknownst to Edward.

Ed woke up the next morning, as usual by Elysia who had taken it upon herself to make sure Ed was still on the couch like he'd promised. She also used this to get Edward to make her one of his famous breakfasts each morning. Gracia and Maes had eventually stopped telling him it wasn't necessary and just let him rule the kitchen in the mornings, though Gracia still had claims on it at dinnertime. The morning Mustang was supposedly arriving, Ed had made french toast with bacon and Maes had ended up stealing some to eat on the way to the office. Leo commented that he'd get fat but Hughes had waved away his opinion, saying he was walking anyway. Gracia gave him his usual kiss goodbye and Elysia gave him his hug. Hughes managed to catch Ed in his now customary one-armed hug before the blonde could escape. All of them knew that Ed didn't hate the hugs as much as he pretended too. Only once Ed had made certain that Hughes had his photos was the older man allowed to give them a cheery wave before he and Leo headed for his office.

The day seemed to fly by and the next thing Ed knew, Elysia was bouncing on the balls of her feet, waiting for the sounds of her father coming home while she followed Ed around as he helped Gracia mend some things around the house. He'd insisted after he'd overheard her grouse at her washing machine the day before. He offered to fix it and anything else she needed done as payment for him being allowed to stay with them. She'd only relented when he'd assured her that he wouldn't hurt himself more and that he honestly would be happy to use his alchemy for more than pretty tricks to entertain Elysia with. They both knew Maes was home because Elysia tore out of the room just as Ed was mending some damaged plates. Gracia followed her daughter at a much more sedate pace and Ed finished up his transmuting before moving to stand in the hallway, keeping himself away from the door so that he wasn't intruding but so he could make sure Hughes was in one piece. What he was not prepared for was seeing Nala come through the door, followed closely by his superior, Leo and Hughes. Hughes was already prepared and shot Ed an apologetic look that the blonde returned with a look that promised the older man would regret not warning him.

 _"Edward! How are you? Roy told me you hurt yourself again."_ Nala fussed over him as soon as she spotted her favourite teenager. He grinned at her and gave her a scratch before answering.

"You're as big a worrywart as Ayala. I'm fine." Ed rolled his eyes at her.

 _"You broke your ribs."_ Nala deadpanned and Ed nodded.

"Yeah. Like I said, I'm fine." Nala didn't look impressed, even when Ed offered her his winning smile. Ayala and Nala greeted each other while Elysia greeted her father and uncle with as much enthusiasm as the five-year-old could muster. They were able to move away from the doorway once Gracia had managed to wrangle Elysia from trying to hug the two men to death, something she was having a bit of difficulty with. Lilith decided to join Ed and the two bigger Animals where they were standing. "Hey, Lilith. Where have you been hanging out? I haven't seen much of you today." The grey fox shrugged.

 _"It was a good day to lay in the sun."_ She told him as she stretched before watching the adults with mild interest. Ed nodded. It wasn't unusual for Lilith to lay in the sun for hours at a time. She was rather like a cat in that regard. Gracia had finally managed to coax Elysia to let the men go so they could sit down while Gracia finished up preparing dinner. Some nudges, courtesy of Nala, informed Ed that he had no choice but to follow the two men into the lounge room. She pretended to ignore the glare he shot her. He huffed in annoyance but complied with her wishes and claimed his couch before Mustang or Hughes could. Ayala had decided to act as his cushion so that Nala could curl up next to his feet. Lilith had debated but she decided to curl up on Ed's lap instead of following Gracia and Elysia into the kitchen; Elysia did have a tendency to accidentally cover the fox in whatever they were cooking with. Lilith was cautious of Ed's ribs and made sure she was curled up so her back was pressed against the couch so her whole weight wasn't on Ed.

"Any exciting news from the pack up?" Ed asked Nala as he relaxed against Ayala and watched Hughes and Mustang sit down out of the corner of his eye. Judging from Mustang's face and Hughes' position, he was still being shown pictures. Ed grinned before turning his attention back to the lioness before Mustang could spot his smirk.

 _"Havoc had to break up with his newest girlfriend. From what Falman said, she wasn't upset about the break up. Roy managed to avoid being shot, barely I might add, by Hawkeye."_ Nala commented, amused by the memory.

"You know, I'm just waiting for the day where you tell me she has actually put a bullet through him." Ed remarked and Ayala and Nala huffed in amusement.

 _"Honestly, so am I. And I more than likely won't try and stop her if she did. He'd probably deserve it."_ Ed nodded his agreement. He knew Hawkeye didn't believe in wasting bullets.

"What did he do this time?" Ed asked curiously. Nala sighed dramatically and now he was really curious.

 _"Okay, so we've known about this transfer for a while now, right?"_ Ed nodded even though he was fairly certain an answer wasn't really required. _"So, Roy decided to leave all of his packing until the last minute, even though Hawkeye told him not too. So, naturally, he was panicked and scrambling to get everything done before we had to leave. After he managed to get everything organised, with a lot of complaining and whining, he had the audacity to ask Hawkeye why she never warned him against last minute packing."_ Ed winced with sympathy for Riza. If he was in her position, he would have definitely shot him.

"I wonder if Mustang's worked out that Miss Riza is actually the one in charge yet?" Ed asked and Nala laughed.

 _"I doubt he'll ever admit it if he did."_ Ed had to agree and Mustang narrowed his eyes at the two of them, not knowing what they were conversing about but having a feeling it was about him. The 'we're totally innocent' looks the lioness and the blonde tried selling weren't being bought by either adult, though Hughes looked more amused than disbelieving.

"I'm honestly surprised that you're still in Central, Fullmetal." Mustang commented in a bid to stop Nala and the blonde talking about him. "I was almost sure you would've been halfway to Al after Hughes told you when the team would arrive."

"To be fair, normally you wouldn't have been wrong." Ed told him and Mustang raised a curious brow. "However, Hughes made me a deal. If I stayed in Central until you turned up and I could leave, he'd torture you with photos all day. I figured it would be amusing to hear about your reaction." Ed explained, smirking at the growing look of fury on Mustang's face as Hughes grinned sheepishly. Gracia unknowingly saved her husbands cameras life when she announced that dinner was ready. Ed, Ayala, Nala and Leo all bolted for the kitchen so they could get their food and so they were away from any potential fallout. Gracia had prepared beef stroganoff for dinner and Ed had to remind himself to leave some for Mustang and Hughes when he started salivating just from the aromas. Elysia was the only person who was determined to talk during the meal, everyone else being more interested in their food. Mustang was the one who was being talked to mainly and he managed to endure the entire dinner being told facts about alchemy, books, and whatever else she had learned from Ed during his stay. Ed did pay attention so he could gently correct her when needed to but he didn't offer anymore input to the conversation than that.

"I didn't realise how much Elysia had picked up from you." Hughes commented as the guys resumed their spots in the living room while Elysia had a shower. Ed shrugged a shoulder.

"You'd be surprised at how much attention a child will pay to a subject they find interesting." Ed said knowingly. "Nina was like that as well. She always asked a hundred questions about every array I used." Hughes and Mustang would've had to have been blind to miss the sudden and intense wave of sadness that overtook Ed before the blonde managed to control his expression. "Anyway, when are you gonna show us what you found out?" Ed asked Hughes so he didn't have to think about the little girl he'd failed. Hughes looked concerned but Ed ignored it.

"I'll show you two once my darling Elysia goes to bed. I have a feeling that you two will have a lot to say." Hughes told them which Ed had to admit made him more curious but he nodded. Mustang sighed in annoyance but didn't argue. There was silence following was only momentary as they soon heard the sounds of Elysia running towards the room. The little girl paused at the doorway and seemed to be having a small crisis. She had too many people to choose from but after a moment of consideration, she decided on her Uncle and clambered up onto his lap before the man had a chance to say anything. Maes cooed at the sight and snapped a dozen photos before Mustang could threaten the camera. Though once Maes caught sight of the look on Mustangs face, the camera was stowed away in a safe place.

Elysia spent the next couple of hours before her bedtime pestering Mustang with questions about East City, his team and Nala. Gracia did try and contain her daughters inquisitive nature but after the twentieth question, she kinda gave up hope and shot Mustang an apologetic look. To his credit, Mustang was very patient and answered every question he could, even after answering the same question phrased five different ways. Though Mustang did end up turning bright red and Hughes and Ed almost died laughing when Elysia asked if Roy was scared of Hawkeye, who Elysia had thought was his boss. Even Gracia couldn't stop her laughter from escaping at Mustang's indignant spluttering.

"No, I'm her boss and I'm not scared of her." He told Elysia, who pulled the cutest disbelieving look Maes had ever seen.

"He's telling the truth, Elysia." Mustang and Hughes both looked equally surprised that Ed had vouched for the older alchemist. "He's absolutely terrified of her."

"Oh." Elysia said as she turned back to Mustang, who looked like he wasn't sure if setting Ed on fire would be a good idea or not. "Why are you terrified of Riza? She's nice." Elysia demanded to know. Mustang looked for help from her parents but neither of them offered any assistance and he refused to ask Ed for help. Ed really wanted to laugh at his dilemma but didn't want to give the black haired alchemist any ammunition to use his gloves. Nala and Ayala didn't worry about that as their laughter echoed in Ed's head while Mustang tried to stutter out an answer that helped him save face. Elysia didn't look convinced with his half-arsed response of 'I'm not. Fullmetal is just joking', especially when Ed gave her a wink when she looked at him to see if her uncle was telling the truth.

"Okay, Elysia. That's enough questions for tonight. It's bedtime now." Gracia said, heading over to Mustang so she could save him from her daughter. Elysia immediately pouted.

"I'm not tired, Mummy. I wanna stay up with daddy, Ed and Uncle Roy." She whined, which probably could've been more effective if she hadn't interrupted herself by yawning.

"Come on, Elysia. How about I read you two stories tonight?" Maes tried bribing his daughter. It didn't work and they could see she was starting to get upset. Mustang looked hilariously uncomfortable with being caught, almost literally, in the middle. Gracia and Maes were trying to coax Elysia into going to bed without making her upset but they weren't really getting anywhere. The little girl could be stubborn when she was tired. Maes finally gave Ed a 'help us' look as a last resort and the blonde sighed before coming to their aid. Leaving his couch, he crouched in front of Elysia and waited for her to look at him, ignoring the curious look from Mustang.

"Why don't you want to go to bed, El?" He asked, keeping his voice soft and calm.

"'Cuz I wanna stay up until Uncle Roy leaves so I can say goodnight." She sniffled, wiping her eyes. Ed looked at Hughes for an answer. In response, Hughes mimicked Ed, kneeling in front of his daughter.

"Uncle Roy is staying with us tonight, sweetie." He told her and both Elysia and Ed looked at him with disbelief, though Ed was more of a 'please tell me you're joking' look than the hopeful look Elysia had. Maes barely managed to keep a straight face. Ed hung his head in resignation but schooled his annoyance and looked back up with a soft smile just for Elysia.

"See? He's staying here the night. So how about you go to bed now so you'll wake up quicker?" She still didn't seem sold on the idea so he used another tactic. "How about this? If you go to bed right now, I promise that I'll make sure he stays here the entire night _and_ I'll make scrambled eggs with bacon for breakfast?" That did the trick. Elysia brightened considerably and nodded her head so enthusiastically, she resembled a bobble-head. Mustang visibly relaxed now that he no longer had a five-year-old about to throw a tantrum on his lap. With the crisis diverted, Elysia was led up to her bedroom by her parents after she'd given every person and Animal a hug goodnight. Ed had moved back to his spot on the couch, cushioned between Ayala and Nala like before.

"I didn't realise you were capable of being tactful." Mustang said casually and Ed rolled his eyes.

"There's a lot you don't know about me." He pointed out but sighed. "That wasn't being tactful. That was just being a big brother." He glanced at Mustang out of the corner of his eye. "You do realise that I was serious? You have to stay here the night, whether you were gonna or not. I promised her and I don't break my promises." He glared at him warningly before getting himself comfortable again. Neither Ayala nor Nala were happy with the shuffling but they didn't do much more than huff in annoyance.

"Oh, really?" Mustang asked, a mix of amusement and annoyance in his voice. "And if I already have arrangements to stay somewhere else?" He asked, curiousity getting the better of him.

"Then you'd have to live with the knowledge that, not only did you break a little girl's heart, but you got your arse handed to you by your fifteen year old subordinate." He remarked casually. "I don't think your reputation could handle that." He smirked at the irked look on his commanding officer's face. He waited a moment but Mustang seemed unable to come up with a good comeback before Ed snorted in amusement and hopped back off the couch, intending to use the time it'd take Maes to get through two stories to take a shower. He missed the concerned look that crossed Mustang's face when his breathing hitched with pain when he accidentally jostled his ribs reaching down for his sleepwear. He sent Ayala a quick assurance and headed straight for the shower.

When he rejoined Mustang and the Animals, he was somewhat pleased to see that he'd been right. Maes and Gracia hadn't managed to make it back down to the lounge room. Ignoring Mustang, he fell gracelessly back onto the couch and propped himself up against Ayala and put his toes underneath Nala before grabbing his book to get a few more pages read while they waited. Ed didn't more than two pages read before he heard the telltale footsteps of both Hughes' approaching and marked his page. Moments later, Gracia and Maes appeared and took their usual spots while Ed adjusted himself so he was sitting up as opposed to laying sprawled on the couch.

"Thank you for your help with Elysia, Ed." Gracia smiled gratefully at him and Ed waved off the thanks.

"Don't worry about it." He told her, giving her a half-smile which she returned. Maes clapped his hands together, effectively getting their attention.

"Right. I guess it's high time I showed you what almost got me killed." He proposed before actually getting to his feet and disappearing into his office. Ed wasn't the only sitting there, wondering if they were supposed to follow when Maes' reappearance answered that question for them. He carefully laid out a map of the entire country and a box of coloured pins. "Okay, this is what I found." He said and the three of them plus Nala and Ayala gathered around the coffee table. He carefully placed five pins through Riviere, Fisk, Cameron, South City and Wellsley before choosing four pins of a different colour and placing them in Pendleton, Liore, Ishval and Fotset. It hit Ed before it hit Mustang.

"No fucking way." Hughes nodded at his disbelief and used some string to finish what he was showing them. Ed swallowed the bile rising in his throat. "There's no fucking way. That can't be right. It's not possible." He shook his head vehemently and heard the sharp intake of breath that signified Mustang's brain reaching the conclusion Ed's had. Hughes placed a hand on his shoulder while Ayala pressed into his side.

"I don't understand. What is it?" Gracia asked, brows furrowed in confusion as she took in the two alchemists reactions.

"What Hughes has done is shown us the basic outline of an array. If he's right, this array would affect the entire country, should it ever be activated." Mustang answered her, voice low. "What I don't understand is what connection all of these cities have." His brow furrowed as he tried to figure it out.

"Like I promised Ed, I investigated every single report that mentioned anyone who had an ouroboreous tattoo. Most of them weren't significant but these were. Each pin represents a town or civilisation that has suffered an event that resulted in massive bloodshed and fatalities." He said soberly and Ed spoke up for the first time.

"Why is Liore on that list? Al and I took care of that problem before it could even become a problem." Ed asked, voice not quite as strong as he would've liked it. Mustang and Hughes exchanged glances.

"A civil war broke out between the citizens only a few days after you left. Evidently, their priest was still able to retain some followers. We still haven't managed to restore peace yet." Hughes told him and Ed's face paled even more. He took a step back to recollect himself and Ayala immediately followed.

 _"I'm so sorry, Ed."_ She said as she nuzzled his flesh hand. The softness of her fur helped ground him and he managed to pull himself together. He gave her a grateful pat on the head before rejoining the others.

"I'm fine." He lied before they could even ask. "There's a problem with this array. It's incomplete." He stabbed at the very top of the circle and directed their attention away from him. Mustang had a closer look at where Ed was pointing and was kinda ticked off to realise he'd completely missed that.

"He's right. They're gonna have to create an event that will cost people their lives somewhere here." He circled the large concave in their border, an area in Drachma that the military were fighting to claim. "The only place I can think of there is Fort Briggs." Ed and Ayala looked at each other for an answer but neither knew what Mustang was talking about.

"Oh, I almost hope you're right. The Ice Queen would be able to completely wipe out any threat that faced Fort Briggs." Hughes chuckled humourlessly.

"That may very well be what they're counting on." Mustang pointed out which sobered Hughes up fairly quickly. "If I were in charge of this array, I'd count on the Major General's famed ruthlessness to complete the final step. Which means," he sighed, "someone's going to have to travel to Fort Briggs and warn her." Ed still didn't understand what they were going on about and, judging by Gracia's sympathetic face, he was the only one in the dark.

"Who exactly are we talking about? And why do you look more scared of her than Miss Riza?" He asked, ignoring Mustang's scowl.

"Major General Olivier Armstrong, aka the Ice Queen. She is the older sister of Major Armstrong. She's in charge of Fort Briggs, our first line of defense should the Drachmans decide to invade. She is a woman that you hope you never cross. She has firm beliefs and anyone who doesn't meet her standards is met with a cold indifference until they either prove themselves or show their true colours. She isn't an alchemist like Alex but she's a deadly swordswoman. She will destroy anyone who poses a threat to herself, her country or the military without a second thought or moment's hesitation." Hughes explained and Ed felt a deep admiration and deeper fear of this woman. Ayala felt the same way. Anyone who could cause Mustang to pale so much at the mere thought of speaking to her had to be interesting, to say the least.

"Well, she sounds fun." He remarked and Hughes snorted.

"I still don't understand." Gracia piped up and Ed felt a stab of guilt. He'd forgotten she was still in the room. "What's this array supposed to do?" She asked, worry written in every feature. Ed and Mustang looked at each other before Mustang decided Ed could answer.

"Honestly?" Ed sighed, sounding thirty years older than he should've. "I don't know. Without the symbols or words, I couldn't tell you what the purpose of this array is for. But considering how much trouble they've gone to, killing all of those people, trying to kill Maes to hide it, it can't be anything good. Worst case scenario that I can think of right now? Judging by it's size and the blood shed and preparation gone into it, it could potentially kill everyone inside the circle." You could have heard a pin drop in the silence that followed his theory.

"Well, fuck." Ed's head snapped to look at Gracia in shock. He'd never heard her swear before and, judging by their faces, it was a rare occurrence for the two others to hear her swear. The words did sum up the whole thing fairly well.

"Is this everything you've discovered?" Mustang asked after another moment of silence.

"Yeah." Hughes nodded. "This is everything. There could be something else but my research time got cut by that woman. I could pick it back up again though." He said, voice turning thoughtful.

"No." Three pairs of eyes turned too Ed's, two shocked and one grateful. Ed's golden gaze hardened as he faced Hughes. "Don't you dare. You got lucky last time. This information almost cost you your life. Don't you dare put it back on the line for the possibility of more information. I can't have your death on my hands, I won't." He grew rigid as he realised what he'd just let slip. He dropped Hughes' gaze and refused to look any of them in the eye until two firm hands were placed on his shoulders, forcing him to look up and see who was touching him. Naturally, it was Hughes.

"You don't blame yourself for what happened, do you? Because _it wasn't your fault_." Hughes put emphasis on the last four words but he could see Ed wasn't buying it. "Ed, no one here blames you for what happened. You didn't force me to do that research, you didn't lead me to that park, you didn't pull the trigger. You saved my life. None of it was your fault."

"Yeah but if I hadn't gotten hurt, if that homunculous hadn't gone after me and I hadn't given you that information, you wouldn't have gone looking for answers." He pointed out, voice barely a whisper and well aware that they had an audience and his cheeks blushed with embarrassment. "None of that would've happened if I had just stayed in my hotel room that night." He admitted and Hughes felt his heart tighten painfully at the expression on the blonde's face.

"But you did and all of that did happen." He pointed out. "But I promise you that my getting hurt wasn't your fault. I didn't even listen to the Fuhrer when he ordered us to stay out of it. I know he's not human but even if he was, I wouldn't have listened. I would've have dug for those answers no matter who asked me not too. Short of tying me up or locking me in a room, you couldn't have stopped me. As for my injury, I already told you; I much prefer the injury I got to the injury you saved me from. So please stop blaming yourself?" He tried using puppy dog eyes on Ed and was rewarded with a slightly watery chuckle.

"You seriously can't pull off that look." He laughed but nodded his head. "I'll try." He promised and Hughes grinned, knowing that was as good as he was gonna get. He wrapped Ed in a one-armed hug so his back was to Mustang, giving the young alchemist a quick chance to wipe any stray tears away.

"Right. I think we should call it a night. We can figure out what we should do tomorrow." Hughes decided and Ed internally groaned as he realised he still couldn't leave to go to Dublith. Hughes released Ed and immediately latched on to Mustang. "Come on, Roy. I'll get you some clothes you can sleep in." Not giving the older alchemist much of a choice, he dragged him to his and Gracia's bedroom. Nala decided not to follow. Gracia and Ed were the only humans left in the room and before Ed could say anything, Gracia had swept him into a hug. Ed returned it after a moment and no words were exchanged but they didn't need to be. Gracia just let the warm gesture speak for her.

"Good night, Ed." She said softly as she released him from the hug and Ed returned the sentiment with a smile. She left him to get himself ready for bed and she headed for her own, stopping just outside her door and giving Maes the time he needed to get Roy some clothes and the words of warning he was undoubtedly receiving from her husband. A few minutes later, Roy walked out of their room with some clothes in his hand and heading for the shower. They whispered good night to one another before she slipped into her room where her husband was waiting for her.

Mustang silently walked past the open living room, not even glancing in to see how Ed was doing despite his urge to do so. He hit the shower and after a few minutes of thoughts revolving around what Maes had shown them and concern for Ed, he dried off and got dressed. Leaving his uniform hanging so it didn't crinkle, he headed back to the lounge room where the Hughes' second couch-turned-bed was waiting for him. The light was still on when he entered but from what he could see, Edward was already asleep. Gracia or Maes had come back down while he was in the shower and left a pillow and some blankets and cleared away the map and pins. He got his bed organised before he switched off the lights and got himself comfortable. Once he'd settled, Nala leapt gracefully from her spot next to Ed and joined her human. Hughes had warned him not to make fun of Ed for what had just happened but Mustang didn't need that warning. He had no intention too. All he wanted to do was get the blonde alone and find out what else the boy was hiding from them all. He'd never admit it out loud but he was worried about Ed and a little jealous of how easily Hughes had been able to not only deal with the situation but show Edward just how much he cared. He watched the boy's chest rise and fall evenly for a few moments before turning over and allowing himself to fall asleep.

Miraculously, Ed made it through the night without a major nightmare waking him up, like they had a couple times since his release from hospital. Ayala had managed to wake him before the nightmares managed to get him fully in their grasp, something he was wholly grateful for. Most nights he just had his usual bad dreams but last night he'd miraculously escaped any kind of dream. As usual, he was awoken by an excitable Elysia, though this morning her excitement seemed to muffled somewhat. When he managed to blink away the last of the sleep, she held one finger to her and pointed back at the other couch. Ed's eyes followed the direction and spotted Mustang asleep on the aforementioned couch. Ed had never wanted access to a camera more than he did now. Ayala chuckled inside his head though he wasn't sure if she was amused by Mustang or him more.

"Okay, you know the routine. Get yourself dressed and meet me in the kitchen." Elysia nodded and scarpered off to do as she was told. Ed quickly and silently gathered his things so he could get ready in the bathroom. He had no clue if Mustang was a morning person but he certainly had no intentions of finding out. He'd just finished his braid when Ayala informed him that Elysia was eagerly waiting in the kitchen. Dumping his clothes back on top of his suitcase, he headed to join his eager cooking apprentice. "Okay, how about you grab what you want to drink out of the fridge and tell me what you'd like in your eggs and we'll get started?" Elysia grabbed some apple juice out and placed it on the dining table before coming back to the kitchen. Ed placed the eggs, cheese and bacon out already.

"Can I have some tomato, mushrooms and some barbecue sauce?" She asked, drawing out the 'and' as she thought of her third ingredient. Ed did as he was asked, mildly surprised out how tame today's menu was. He placed the newest items next to the ones he'd grabbed earlier and went about slicing and dicing everything he needed to, all the while chatting to Elysia about what he was doing and whether she'd had any interesting dreams the night before. He noticed she was starting to get fidgety so he racked his brain for something she could help to do.

"Do you think you could cook us some toast?" He asked pointing to the loaf of bread and Elysia nodded, grinning widely. She grabbed a chair from the dining room and stood next to the toaster, carefully placing a slice of bread into each slot before pushing the lever down to start them cooking. Ed watched her carefully out of the corner of his eyes while he cooked up the bacon and eggs. A small pop and cry of 'ouch' had him quickly focusing on Elysia, who currently had one of her fingers in her mouth. "You okay, El?"

"The toast burned me." She sulked, holding her finger out for Ed to inspect it. He humoured her and looked at the finger critically.

"You'll live." He smiled at her and she gave a smile back. He pulled the toast out and placed it on a plate. "Put some more on but let me know when they're done next time and I'll grab them out, okay?"

"Okay, big brother!" Ed's heart did that small squeeze it always did whenever he heard her saying that. Sometimes, she just sounded so much like Nina. Both girls were similar in age. Ed's smile wavered slightly as he remembered he'd never get to hear Nina call him 'big brother' again, except in his nightmares. He buried those feelings as far down as he could as he grabbed plates and cutlery out and set them on the counter. He turned off the stove tops and served himself, Elysia and Ayala up some breakfast. The second round of toast popped and Elysia called Ed over.

"Okay, one more lot and that should be enough for everyone." He said, giving her a smile and ruffling her hair. She giggled and put the last lot of bread in to be cooked. Ed put out their food on the table and poured them each a glass of apple juice before cleaning up the kitchen and turning on the kettle as they waited for familiar pop of the toaster. Once the finished toast was plated, Ed, Elysia and Ayala made it into the kitchen and dug into their food. Not long after, they heard the sounds of Maes and Gracia heading towards them and Ed distinctly heard Nala thump as she leaped off the couch. The sound of a third person walking towards the dining room was soon heard and all three adults entered the dining room at the same time.

"Food's that way. Kettle's just been boiled." Ed said, pointing to the kitchen and a quick nod of thanks from Gracia was all he got as she and Maes headed to get some breakfast and coffee. Mustang looked at him strangely for a moment. "I didn't poison it." Ed scowled, stabbing an unfortunate piece of tomato. Mustang seemed to have realised he was staring and shook himself slightly before disappearing into the kitchen without a word.

"Are you okay, big brother?" Elysia's voice snapped him immediately out of his mood. Mustang always seemed to be able to put him in a sour mood and he'd momentarily forgetten that Elysia was there. He immediately flashed her his biggest smile.

"Of course I am." He assured her. "What do you think of this morning's scrambled eggs?" He asked, distracting her from the original topic. Her face lit up as she gave him an enthusiastic review.

"It's sooo yummy! Even the mushrooms tasted good! I don't really like mushrooms." She whispered the last part, like it was trade secret.

"Well, I'm glad you liked it. Even the mushrooms." He grinned at her and she graced him with a quick smile before quickly digging back into her food.

 _"I suppose you did alright."_ Ayala graciously told him, smirk on her face and Ed gave a fake offended huff before grinning back and resumed eating his own breakfast. The three adults finally decided to join them, each carrying two plates of food, placing one on the ground before they sat down to devour the plateful of food in front of them. There was no speaking as Elysia and Ed waited for Gracia and Maes to have drunk at least half of their coffee. It was an unspoken rule in the mornings. As soon as they had, Elysia was chattering away.

"I got the apple juice this morning _and_ I made the toast, all by myself!" Elysia told them the moment they'd sat their half-drunk coffee down. She puffed her chest out with pride and Ed couldn't stop the grin from forming. Sometimes, Elysia just reminded him so much of him or Al when they were her age.

 _"I think you should contact Chester and make sure he and Al are still alive."_ Ayala suggested. Ed felt a small surge of guilt. He hadn't spoken to his brother or to Chester since they told him they arrived in Dublith unharmed. A big part of him knew it was because he was avoiding the message Teacher was sure to have asked Al or Chester to pass along. He'd felt small pains Chester suffered and the leopard had been quick to assure him it was just from the training they were getting. Ed had thought about contacting him last night when Maes had told finally told them what he'd discovered but the leopard was dead to the world. Teacher wasn't one to hold back her blows, after all.

"Yeah, you're right. Hopefully, he's okay. I know Al is because he can't get physically hurt but I've felt Chester's pain. So far, he hasn't required healing but he's still gaining new injuries every day. I hope Teacher realises Al can't heal him soon or I'm gonna be forced to do distance healing with him." Ayala felt the same level of enthusiasm as Ed did at that prospect. They'd discussed this at length. If Ed was forced to heal Chester at a great distance, it would knock Ed out. Chester's energy store was only so big and the greater the distance; the more energy required. It was a big part of the reason Ed didn't like being separated from his brother and Chester. The bigger part was simply because he didn't like not having his only living family member nearby so he could keep an eye on him.

 _"Maybe you should remind Chester that Al needs to tell your teacher that. She could just assume that he's not being healed because the injuries aren't bad."_ Ayala had a point. Most people didn't heal their Animal unless their injury was major or life-threatening. Ed resolved to do just that.

"An excellent breakfast, as always, Edward." Maes complimented him as he relaxed slightly into his chair and the praise reminded Ed that he and Ayala were not alone in the room.

"Thanks but Elysia did all the hard parts. She picked out the ingredients and made the toast." He told him and Elysia squirmed with pride at the praise.

"Well, you two make a great team." Maes conceded, knowing Ed was still uncomfortable with praise related to anything that wasn't fighting or alchemy.

"Yeah, we do." Ed and Elysia fist bumped and the little girl giggled in delight.

"I wasn't aware you knew how to cook." Ed's eyes flicked to Mustang and narrowed slightly.

"Like I said, there's a lot you don't know about me." He reminded the black-haired alchemist.

"Evidently." Came the smooth response. Elysia decided to cut in with her opinion.

"Big brother Ed is one of the bestest cooks in the whole, entire world! He makes lots and lots of yummy things! He can make s'ghetti and pork chops and pizza and chicken nuggets and eggs and even more yummy stuff! He's just as good as mummy is!" Elysia told Mustang in a no-nonsense tone and Ed almost laughed at the fact that his boss was getting reprimanded by a five year old. If the twinkle in their eyes meant anything, Maes and Gracia were just as amused.

 _"Something tells me she'll miss your food more than you when we leave."_ Ayala joked and Ed snorted. Ayala probably wasn't wrong. Ed suddenly felt an Animal trying to connect to hi and, once he realised exactly who, he let them.

"Hey, Soren, what's up?" He asked, forgetting to do so telepathically. He immediately saw Mustang's face pale minutely and Ed knew this would be good.

 _"Hey, Ed. Long time, no chat. Quick question but is Colonel Mustang still with you and Lieutenant-Colonel Hughes?"_ The barn owl asked and Ed's grin grew wider.

"Yup. He's still here." Mustang shot him a death glare and Ed ignored him.

 _"Could you tell him that he promised Riza he would help with unpacking the office this morning? And Riza would like to know if you'd be willing to give up your morning to help?"_ Soren asked and Ed knew there was no way in hell he'd give up the chance to see Hawkeye yell at Mustang.

"Of course. Please let Miss Riza know we'll be in soon." He told him and Soren thanked him before disconnecting the connection. Ed's smile was slightly evil when he locked eyes with Mustang. "Looks like you promised to go into the office today and help unpack. Miss Riza was worried you'd forgotten and asked Soren to contact me." Mustang groaned and Hughes looked thoroughly amused at his best friends predicament.

"Wait," Mustang said slowly as something occurred to him, "why did you say 'we'll be in soon'?" He asked, kinda hoping he was wrong.

"Well, Miss Riza asked if I'd mind giving you guys a hand. As a member of your team, it'd be rude of me to say no." Ed informed him like it was the most obvious answer in the world. Mustang didn't buy it for a second. "Also, I get the feeling she's really ticked off and I'm not missing that for the world." That Mustang could believe. He looked at his lioness for some sympathy but was met with none. If Nala wasn't going to be sympathetic, he knew the two adults weren't gonna be either. "Take your time getting ready. The longer you keep her waiting, the more amusing it is for me." Mustang scowled at him but the jab had the intended effect. Mustang and Nala left the table.

"Are you gonna come back this afternoon?" Elysia asked, a little uncertain.

"You bet, kiddo." Ed ruffled her hair before gathering plates before Gracia could try.

"Hey, you leave those to me. I suggest you make sure you're ready to leave as soon as Roy's done." Gracia told him as she took the dirty dishes out of his hands and he relinquished them easily, knowing he wouldn't win this fight.

"I'll go in with you. I was planning on going in this morning anyway. I've got some paperwork I need to finish up on." Hughes said, stretching as he stood and wincing as his bullet wound pulled. "I'll meet you out the front." He told Ed before heading to his bedroom to get changed.

"Do you think he actually has paperwork or is he going to make sure we don't kill each other on the way to the office?" Ed asked Gracia, who pursed her lips in mock thought.

"Probably both." Ed nodded in agreement and they both grinned at each other before Ed headed for the lounge room. He wasn't surprised to see Nala there.

"Morning, Nala." Ed greeted the lioness as he dug for his red jacket. He hadn't needed it during his stay with the Hughes' so it was buried under all of his other clothing.

 _"Morning, Ed. Thanks for breakfast."_ Nala said as she joined him and Ayala in the search for his jacket. _"You really need to sort your suitcase out."_ She helpfully pointed as as she and Ayala watched him dig through. Seriously, how hard is it to find the only red piece of clothing he owned? He gave a small shout of victory as he finally managed to find it.

"Yeah I know but not right now." He grinned at the lioness, who rolled her eyes in tandem with Ayala. Ed ignored them both as he shrugged his jacket on and hunted down his boots, finding them at the front door. His entourage followed him and waited patiently as he put his boots on. "You two realise that even I can't get in trouble just by putting my shoes on, right?" He asked jokingly and both Animals huffed in amusement.

 _"I wouldn't put it past you."_ Ayala said and Nala nodded in agreement.

"Thank you for your votes of confidence." Ed deadpanned and scowled when their response was simply to laugh at him. "Rude." He muttered.

 _"You'll live."_ Nala assured him and Ed heard the sass behind the words. He stuck his tongue out at the lioness. _"Real mature."_ She told him and he shrugged a shoulder and smirked at her, causing her to roll her eyes yet again at him. Hughes was the first of the two men to join him at the front door, Leo following close behind. Hughes seemed surprised at the lack of Mustang waiting at the front door.

"Where's Roy?" Ed shrugged but tilted his head slightly as though listening to something Maes couldn't hear. A second later, Maes realised that's exactly what was going on.

"He's still getting ready, apparently." Ed answered and Nala nodded.

"You know, I just realised how handy it is that you can talk to any Animal. I wish I could get you to transfer to Investigations." Maes mused and Ed let out a snort of amusement.

"Wait, you mean that you've just now realised the upside of that particular talent because I can tell you where Mustang is? I would've thought that particular realisation would've occurred after the last time Leo contacted me." Ed laughed slightly as Hughes grinned a little sheepishly.

"Haven't seen you in that jacket for a while." Maes told him, not so subtlety changing the subject, and Ed smirked but didn't comment. Gracia joined them at the front door and Elysia was right behind her before demanding her father pick her up, something he did happily. Mustang decided to finally grace them with his presence just as Elysia decided she needed a hug from her big brother and Hughes was handing her over with a pout while Gracia gave him a sympathetic pat on the arm. Ed was the first to spot him joining them.

"Took you long enough." He commented though it didn't have as much bite in it as it would've had had Elysia not been in the room. Mustang didn't bother with a response, just an impatient gesture for them to get going. Maes nudged Ed so the teen wouldn't comment on the fact that they were waiting for Mustang. Only after Elysia had wrangled a promise out Ed and Mustang that they'd both be back for dinner were the three men and their Animals allowed to leave. Mustang and Hughes were talking between themselves, keeping their voices low enough so Ed couldn't overhear them even if he wanted to listen to them.

"Anything?" He asked Ayala telepathically and she closed her eyes in concentration for a moment.

 _"No, there's nothing. I can't sense any homunculous nearby. Not even a faint scent."_ She told him and he sighed in relief. If Ayala couldn't even pick up lingering scents of them nearby than that meant they were keeping their distance. Ed figured it wouldn't take them long to figure out what he'd done to Palm Tree and realise he posed more of a danger than he'd let on and were now probably treating him with more caution.

"That's good. Let me know if that changes. I know you'll pick up on the Fuhrer once we're closer to the Command Centre but if you pick on anyone else, you need to let me know, okay?" He told her and she nodded her compliance. Ed didn't really talk much on the walk, only opening his mouth to answer any questions or comment on something. He didn't have a great feeling about today. And the way Ayala was acting made him think she was getting the same feeling. Neither Hughes nor Mustang seemed to have outwardly noticed anything different with them but both were very adapt at hiding their nerves from everyone except maybe Al and Chester.

As they got closer to Central, Ed and Ayala paid more attention to where they were going rather than whether a homunculous was nearby so that they could actually tell the way to the place they'd have to hand reports into. Surprisingly, they weren't too far from where Hughes' allocated office was. Ed had a feeling that the close proximity would do Hughes more good than it would Mustang.

As they entered the new office, Ed was struck by how remarkably similar it was to the old office they had in East City. There was the outer office, where the team would do their work, and the inner office would be where Mustang would be avoiding doing his work. There were boxes everywhere and empty shelves lined the walls, waiting to be filled with folders and books. He had the chance to see that only Hawkeye, Falman, Soren, Rachel and, surprisingly, Mark were in the office when he was suddenly found himself under attack. If you count suddenly being glomped on by Havoc as an attack.

"What the-" Was all he got out before Havoc was talking over the top of him as they both stumbled slightly as Havoc's momentum almost sent both of them tumbling to the ground.

"Good to see you're still alive, Chief!" He exclaimed, ignoring Ed's protests and elbows to Havoc's side. Ayala was absolutely no help, too busy laughing at her humans dilemma. He scowled at her before finally managing to dig his automail elbow into Havoc painfully enough to make the older blonde man get off of him.

"Yeah, it takes more than a building collapsing on top of me to take me out." Ed grumbled as he placed a hand over his jostled ribs and glared at the man who had just been draped over his shoulders.

"It's good to see you out of hospital, Ed." Hawkeye spoke from across the room, pausing in her unpacking to give him a soft smile. "And thank you for agreeing to help with the unpacking."

"Nah, it was no problems." He dismissed her thanks with a grin.

"It's good to see you, Ed. It's been too long since we've seen you." Falman said from where he stood, behind the new desk.

"Yeah well it turns out little brothers and certain wolves don't like it if you decide to leave the hospital before the doctors let you. They completely overreacted." Ed informed them nonchalantly.

"You almost bled out, broke your automail and ribs. You just have a severe problem of downplaying your injuries." Mustang told him as he headed for his inner office to start in there. Hawkeye followed him and, to the disappointment of the four others, shut the door behind her.

"Aw, I wanted to hear him get ripped a new one." Ed pouted and both Hughes and Havoc laughed. Falman just looked stony faced as always but Ed saw the glint of humour in his eyes. He sighed before turning to the two other members of Mustang's team. "Alright, what do you want a hand with?" He asked.

"Well, that's my cue to leave. Have fun, guys." Hughes placed a hand on Ed's shoulder, causing the young alchemist to look up at him. "I'll meet you back here when I'm done with my work." Ed nodded and Maes squeezed his shoulder before leaving with a wave and a quick grin, Leo following him out with a last minute goodbye to Ed before the door shut behind them.

"Okay, so what do you want me to do?" Ed asked again now that there shouldn't be any more interruptions. Mustang and Hawkeye were still behind the closed inner office door and both Nala and Soren were stuck in the outer office with the rest of them.

"How about you grab a box and start unpacking it? If you unpack folders, they get sorted by date and books get sorted by subject and author. Any stationary, just leave on the desk for us to sort out what belongs to who." Falman instructed as he and Havoc decided to get back to work. Ed nodded and he, Ayala and Nala all chose a box each. Nala and Ayala couldn't do much except carefully pick up books or folders in their jaws and hold them up for Ed to take and place on the shelf in front of him. It didn't take long for the three of them to sort through the three boxes they'd nabbed and they were just starting on their second lot when the inner office door opened and Nala looked up at the slight noise.

 _"I better go make sure he's still in one piece."_ Nala said as Hawkeye emerged and waited patiently at the door, looking at the lioness expectantly.

"No worries. Thanks for your help." Ed called as Nala trotted away.

 _"You're welcome."_ She called back as she slunk through the opening and Ed turned back to unpacking with Ayala while Hawkeye headed over to where Soren had sat perched, overlooking their work. Though she didn't say anything, the two older men both picked up their pace a little and Ed smirked a little as he and Ayala slipped back into their routine, amended slightly for the loss of Nala. Rachel and Mark milled around everyone, too small or lacking hands or jaws to help with the unpacking, but more than willing to share stories with Ed and Ayala about things that had happened while they were away. Hawkeye periodically paused in her work to check on the three others work and, unlike an ordinary workday, Hawkeye didn't reprimand them for chatting so long as they were still unpacking. She even joined in on the conversations or asked Ed questions about what he'd been up to. It was a really nice, non-stressful but productive day, something both Ed and Ayala realised they needed after spending so much time with Elysia and doing nothing more than reading or participating in whatever games she allowed Ed to join in on.

The time seemed to pass rather quickly for Ed. Mustang stuck his head out of his office door a couple of times to see if anyone was doing a coffee run and stuck his head back in after a warning glare from Hawkeye. Ed heard Nala chuckle both times and assumed Mustang was complaining about the unfairness of his situation, even though he had no one to blame but himself. The bad feeling Ed and Ayala had been sensing that morning hadn't disappeared, only grown steadily stronger but they didn't think much of it. After all, what could happen to them while they were inside Mustang's office with the majority of his team keeping them company?

That question was answered only a couple of hours later. Ed had claimed he was about to pass out from starvation and Havoc had taken pity on him, giving him instructions on how to get to the mess hall and warnings to stick with the sandwiches. He was fully prepared, if not a little too enthusiastic, about accompanying Ed and Ayala to the mess but Hawkeye informed Havoc he wasn't getting out of unpacking that easily. When he tried to claim he was hungry as well, Hawkeye reminded him that he'd only gone out an hour ago with Falman to grab themselves some lunch.

"Sorry, Havoc. You heard the boss." Ed said as he shrugged on his jacket and headed for the door where Ayala was eagerly waiting. "Do you want anything, Miss Riza?" He asked, turning back slightly to look at the woman.

"Thank you, Edward, but I'm okay. I'll grab myself later." She assured him with a smile. He nodded and shut the door behind him. Ayala was practically vibrating with the need to actually go out and run around in the time they had before they went back. Once he was a few metres away from the doorway, Ayala took off, leaving Ed to blink at the spot she'd just been occupying before he heard her through their bond.

 _"Come on, slow poke! Don't tell me you're out of shape after only a month?"_ He grinned at her taunt before following her example and he raced after his wolf in a slightly unfair game of tag. Ayala took pity on him by only letting herself have a slight lead in the race. They did end up getting lost when one of them took a wrong turn a couple of times and had to double back to get back on the right track. They were having as much fun as possible on the base when something grabbed Ed by his flesh arm before Ayala could warn him and swung him into an alleyway between two of the buildings on base. His eyes flew open in pain and surprise as his back slammed up against the brick wall, forcing a yelp out of him as his lungs emptied of air. The next thing he registered was a golden blur launching past his face and crashing into whoever had thrown Ed into the wall. The only thing he could say for certain about the person was that they were definitely wearing a military uniform. Ed felt the pressure he hadn't noticed on his throat disappear as the offender was unceremoniously introduced to the ground.

Ayala rolled as she landed but was immediately back in front of Ed, growling at the man who was picking himself back up. Ed himself had recovered fairly quickly from his attack and was watching the military officer right himself. Ayala was the first to recognise him and her growling turned into full-on feral snarling as the man straightened to his full height and turned to face his would-be victim and thoroughly pissed off Animal. Ed's golden eyes flicked up as he noticed a large, black shape circling above the alleyway.

"It's good to see you again, Major Elric." Ed's eyes snapped back down to the person in front of him and Ayala. His head still throbbed from where it connected with the brick wall and he was certain he could already feel the tell-tale warm trickle of blood making its way down the back of his head. It took him a second to place who his attacker was, simply because he hadn't seen the man since he joined the military and had truthfully been trying to forget they'd even met.

"Wish I could say the same, Lieutenant-Colonel Archer." Ed growled out as he and Archer locked eyes. Ayala's hackles rose as Archer took a step closer towards Ed. He paused in his approach and watched the wolf for a moment before he stopped coming closer, heeding the threat promised by Ayala's teeth. "What do you want, Archer?" Archer studied him for a moment.

"Isn't it obvious?" He asked, tilting his head like he couldn't believe Ed hadn't figured this out yet.

"Humour me." Ed snapped, not really in the mood for this kinda crap. Funny how a blow to the head does that to you. Archer gave him what Ed thought was supposed to be a winning smile but all it did was make him look even more like a creep than he already did.

"I'd like to offer you the opportunity to work under me." _Uh, what the fuck?_ Ed's jaw dropped and Ayala's snarl decreased slightly in shock but didn't let up completely.

"Excuse me?" Ed managed to stutter out in disbelief. Archer splayed his arms out like he was extending an invitation.

"I'd like to offer you a spot on my team. I've heard how Mustang treats you worse than his other subordinates. You're an amazing asset to the military and the fact that you haven't been promoted in the two years you've been enlisted isn't your fault, it's Mustang's. I can offer you a much more respectable position, more money, promotions and less dangerous missions. I'm sure your brother, not to mention your wolf here, would appreciate you not getting injured so much. Really, it's irresponsible of Mustang to send a person as young as yourself on missions as dangerous as the ones you've been on." Archer simpered and Ed wanted to throw up at the sound. Though he wasn't one to back away from a fight, he had a nasty feeling about this fight and a quick check through their bond showed that Ayala felt the same way and they both started backing away slowly. Ayala got the sense that Archer may be dangerous but he was far more unstable and that was far more concerning to the wolf.

"Are you legitimately insane? Why the ever living fuck would I join you?" Ed asked, honestly astounded that that had been what came out Archer's mouth. "Mustang may be an arsehole but he's never laid a hand on me. Did you really think I'd accept that offer after you slammed me into a wall?" Archer's eye was starting to twitch in annoyance but his face kept that grin in place as Ed kept talking. "As for your offers: I don't give two fucks about promotions, I'm earning more money now than I know what to do with, the missions I go on are my choice and I have more respect in my pinkie right now than I'd ever get working under you. Even if you hadn't attacked me, my answer would still be no." Ed told him shortly and Ed could see the smile slip from Archer's face as his features screwed into something ugly. Ayala and Ed backed away a little more and Archer's vulture swooped in to land on a nearby dumpster. Archer looked like he was struggling to school his facial expressions into something less deranged.

"I'll only ask one more time before this becomes... less pleasant." Archer's voice had certainly lost any lingering tones of inviting.

"I'll save you the trouble." Ed interrupted as Archer went to extent his offer one more time. "No." This time, Archer lost any remaining pretense of being civil.

"Then I'll just have to make you. Trust me," the tone of his voice had Ed doing anything but, "I can be very persuasive." Archer walked towards them and Ed created his usual weapon, his automail blade. Ayala moved so she was next to Ed instead of directly in front of him and Archer's Animal, Drew, raised his wings in preparation of taking off.

"Bring it on." Ed said as he and Ayala took up their typical fighting stances, waiting for Archer and Drew to make their move.

 **A/N - I'm so sorry this chapter took forever to get put up! It took a lot longer than I thought it would to write it. I really hope you guys enjoy the reappearance of Archer and I swear I haven't forgotten about Al and Chester! I know they aren't mentioned in this chapter much but I promise they will be in the next chapter! As always, thank you to every who is still reading this story and if you would be so kind, please leave me a review telling me what you think! Reviews fuel my motivation!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22-**

The thought to contact Nala or any other Animal nearby to help had crossed Ed's mind but was completely wiped away when Archer took his first swing at him. He didn't know where it came from but the glint of metal was the only hint he had before he bent backwards instinctively to avoid the knife that had suddenly appeared in Archer's hand. Ayala couldn't help him, having been forced away from him by Drew, who was working her back using his massive talons and deadly beak. To Ed's dismay, Archer was proving to be as good as he was with a knife because Ed was certainly hard-pressed defending himself against Archer's attacks. Ayala was finding herself on the defensive as much as Ed was and both of them knew they needed to get onto the offensive as quickly as possible. While Ayala was in full health, Ed was still healing from his fight with Palm Tree and he now had a new head injury to add to it.

The tide seemed to have turned for a moment there when Ayala had managed to pin Drew to the ground by his wings. She'd caused the vulture enough pain for it to affect Archer, forcing the deranged man to step back in pain and letting Ed launch his own attack. However, their moment was snatched away when Drew managed to dig his talons into Ayala's chest just before her teeth closed on his neck. The large talons tore open her chest where he desperately attacked whatever flesh he managed to hit and caused her to scream in pain and scrabble away from him. The pain Ayala felt radiated through Ed and the jab with his automail knife missed its mark as his chest burned and he barely managed to block Archer's swipe, his blade glancing off of his bared automail arm. He'd shed both of his jackets once they became more of a hindrance than anything.

"How bad?" Ed asked as he was forced to continually defend himself. He couldn't see his wolf anymore and that sent a spike of worry through him. He'd been forced to watch as Drew beat her slowly but surely away from him until she disappeared from the alleyway completely. It seemed Archer and Drew had succeeded in separating the two of them and Ed loathed the fact they'd managed to successfully pull off part of their plan.

 _"It hurts like you wouldn't believe but I'll be alright for a while. We need to wrap this up quickly though."_ Ayala told him and Ed had to agree. He'd so far suffered only minor injuries but he wasn't willing to let it draw out any longer than he had to. With Ayala as hurt as she was, Edward was not willing to leave her without medical attention. Snarling, he shoved Archer backwards, causing the man to stumble back into the brick wall and buy himself a few seconds to help Ayala.

"Ayala, sight!" He felt her comply and suddenly his vision was filled with an angry vulture who was shaking its head with sympathy pain. "Pin him just like before!" Ed called, aware that Archer would be recovered any second now. Ayala knew what he wanted to do and knew that time was of the essence. Ed felt his stomach roll a little as his vision showed him running forward but his body didn't physically move. As soon as Ayala had Drew pinned, this time the vulture was belly down and Ed almost felt sympathy for how much his wings had to hurt. Wasting no time, Ed immediately dropped to the ground as Ayala moved a paw from one wing so it was next to the vulture's head and Ed slammed a hand to the ground. The circle was completed and the ground next to Ayala's paw crackled with blue energy as Ed watched it manipulate the ground to rise and curve around Drew's neck before fixing itself seamlessly to the ground on the other side. Ed had successfully trapped Drew. "End sight!" Ed called and his vision was snapped back to his body in time for the kick Archer had aimed at him to connect and send him sprawling back. His back slammed to the ground and he saw stars when his existing head injury was aggravated.

"How dare you?!" Archer screeched, spit flying as he stormed towards Ed. Ed scrambled to his feet as Ayala rounded the corner and got to her humans side. Archer's face was tomato-red with rage. "You'll pay for what you did to Drew!" Ed was about to give a snarky reply when he felt a faint pain on his hip and he gasped incredulously. This could not be happening right now. There was no way his luck was that bad that he and Ayala _and_ Chester and Al were currently fighting an enemy _at the same time_ while hours apart.

"Please tell me Teacher is the one kicking your arse." Ed shamelessly begged Chester as he and Ayala fought with Archer. Apparently, trapping his Animal by it's neck really pissed him off because he came at them with everything he had. Ed and Ayala were hard-pressed beating him back.

 _"Sorry, Ed."_ Chester's voice echoed in his head and Edward groaned. _"There's a homunculous in Dublith and he's a little too interested in Al. Specifically, how he bound his soul to the armour."_ Chester told him quickly and Ed's breathing hitched slightly. Archer came at him and Ed lost the last of his cool. He needed to help his brother and Archer was preventing him from doing that. So, he punched Archer in the throat with his flesh hand. After all, he didn't want to kill the man. The effect was immediate. Archer sputtered as he tried to draw a breath and collapsed to his knees, his fingers clawing at his throat.

"Oh, please. I didn't hit you that hard. You'll start breathing again soon." Ed snapped impatiently as he clapped his hands and trapped Archer in much the same way as he had Drew. The only difference was he placed the restraints on Archer's wrists instead of his neck. Now that his first distraction was dealt with, he turned his attention to Alphonse and Chester. "Chester, sight!" Like Ayala, Chester complied and Ed found himself looking at three people and Alphonse as Chester did a quick look around the room for Ed's benefit. They seemed to be in a basement or something and Al was just sitting up against the wall behind Chester. Sensing his question, Chester answered before he even asked.

 _"The homunculous,"_ Chester and Ed's vision focused on one of the spiky haired, beak nosed man and Ed assumed this one was the homunculous, _"had one of his minions climb inside Al and control his movements."_ Ed balled his fists in anger. What he wouldn't give to be in that room with his brother and Chester.

"How?" He ground out and Ayala looked at him in concern. He sensed the concern and made a reassuring gesture in her general direction. Chester was still standing guard, preventing the two men and homunculous from getting near Alphonse.

 _"I don't know for sure but I think these humans are chimeras. They remind me of Nina."_ Chester told him and Ed couldn't stop the pang of guilt. _"I'm pretty sure these ones are combined with their Animals, though. The one inside of Al has been transmuted with a snake. I think these two have been combined with a cow or ox and a dog."_ Ed felt bile crawl up his throat and he was glad Ayala couldn't hear this conversation.

"Okay." Ed took a deep breath. He needed to get his brother out of this before the situation changed from a stand off to a full-on fight. So far, none of them seemed to have noticed Chester was visually linked with someone. "We need to start by getting that person out of Al. Do you think you could get Al's chest plate off and bite the person without killing them or getting blood on Al's seal?"

 _"I think so. I won't be able to get that chest plate off without damaging it."_ Chester told him but Ed shook his head.

"Don't worry about that. Al can mend it with alchemy later. Just get it off and disable that person before the others have a chance to attack. Al can get them out of his armour and join the fight." Ed told him. "There are straps that connect the plate to the rest of the armour. Get through them and you should be able to pull it off." Chester nodded and stunned the people in the room by going for his human. Al gave a surprised yelp since Chester hadn't told him the plan. He'd scratched through the leather strips like they were butter and got the chest plate off before anyone could react. Ed saw the woman's slack-jawed expression just before Chester's jaws closed around her throat, carefully aimed to miss the major arteries and trachea so she wouldn't bleed out or suffocate. Naturally, her instinct was to grab her throat to stop the blood which gave Al back control of his limbs. The bigger of the chimeras roared in rage and kicked Chester in the gut, literally sending the big cat flying and slamming into the wall. Ed's entire torso groaned with pain and his breath came in pained huffs for a few moments as Chester picked himself up. Al was able to get the injured woman out of his armour and get himself up in time to engage the chimera who attacked Chester. Ed felt every single ache Chester did as the leopard shook himself off and moved to help his human.

Since their vision was still linked, Ed was able to help Chester with the fight by giving the leopard warnings and ideas, which he found irritating until Ed saved him from a blow that surely would've resulted in a broken bone. Though he hadn't told him, Chester knew that Ed was aware of the fact that something had happened to him when he was kicked into the wall. He didn't feel right but he refused to stop fighting. Ed wasn't stupid enough to ask him to, he just resigned himself to the fact that he'd have to distance heal the leopard. Alphonse was fighting the homunculous, who was somehow turning his skin into some sort shield since Al's blows weren't resulting in any injuries, while Chester was doing his best fighting the two chimeras. The third one, the woman, was being tended to by a newcomer, a small man who looked vaguely like a lizard and Ed shuddered as he remembered what Chester had said about how they were created. That was something he was not going to think about right now. Chester's movements were getting sluggish and Al was finally noticing something wasn't right. A loud noise sounded and Chester wasn't the only one who paused in their fight to see who the newcomer was. Ed had to actually remind himself that he wasn't physically there as Teacher and Koda strode into the room.

"Sorry to barge in like this." Teacher dipped her head towards the homunculous before turning to Al and Chester. "DO YOU TWO THINK IT'S FUNNY TO LEAVE THE BROOM OUT?! I ASKED YOU A QUESTION!" Al and Chester both jumped and hung their heads.

"We're sorry!" Al cried. Ed startled as Chester's vision suddenly blurred and he cried out in pain alongside the leopard as he collapsed.

"Alphonse, get Chester out of here. I'll deal with this." Teacher ordered, a rare show of concern that Al didn't bother questioning. He scooped Chester up, causing the leopard and Ed to groan in pain and headed for the same door Teacher had gone through.

"Teacher, he's a homunculous." Alphonse warned and Teacher shot him a glare.

"You think I don't know that?!" She thundered and Al squeaked out an apology before he disappeared with Chester.

"End sight." Ed said and Chester willingly let the connection drop. Ed found himself blinking rapidly as he leant up against the now-familiar alleyway. Ayala was there and Archer was limp against his restraints though Ed could see he was breathing.

 _"Are you okay? Is Chester? Al?"_ Ayala demanded as she looked him over for a new injury, even though she knew he wasn't actually hurt.

"I'm good and so is Al. Chester is hurt. I'm gonna heal you then him." Ed told her. "I need you to contact Nala and tell her what happened while I do this."

 _"If you heal Chester from this distance, you'll lose consciousness!"_ Ayala argued. There was even the risk of serious injury. If a human used more Animal energy than what was available, the human could end up in a coma or worse.

"I'm pretty sure I'll only be out for a few hours, if at all. His injury is bad but its also an easy fix." At least, that's what he hoped. "You ready?" He asked, not giving Ayala the chance to argue anymore. She growled her protests but nodded. He clapped and dug for her energy. "Heal!" The green glow lit up the alleyway and Ayala squirmed as her chest wounds knitted themselves together. Sensing no other injuries, Ed stopped the healing shortly after it began.

 _"Are you okay?"_ Ayala asked before he could start healing Chester. She couldn't help it.

"Yup. Please tell Nala what happened." Ed reminded her and she nodded a little sullenly. "Chester? I'm gonna heal you now. Tell Al to put you down, okay?" He felt the leopard receive the message and pass it along. He forced himself to wait until Chester told him it was okay. It took a little longer than he expected and he was starting to worry.

 _"Al says you better not die healing me or he'll be so mad."_ Chester told him, a little weaker than Ed was comfortable with but he managed to chuckle.

"Tell him I'll be fine. You ready?" Ed asked as he prepared himself for what he was about to do. Honestly, this could be one of the more riskiest decisions he'd made and that was saying something. Chester gave him the okay and Ed took another deep breath to calm himself before he reached for his and Chester's connection. Once he felt it, he dug for Chester's energy like he'd just done for Ayala and started the flow. He had to maintain precise control over the flow of the energy. Since he was having to heal from such a great distance and heal an injury that could be massive, he needed to be able to stop the flow the second Chester was no longer in danger of dying so that he didn't exert himself more than necessary. Once he felt completely ready, he opened his eyes and activated the healing energy. "Heal!" He called out for the second time today and felt the energy leave him and flow to Chester. He mentally apologised when the healing began because it was so slow. He could feel the energy draining at a drastic rate and, for the first time since he started, he was worried the energy wouldn't be enough to completely heal Chester. That fear only increased when black spots overtook his vision before it blackened completely.

Ayala had given Nala the short version of what had happened and was assured by the lioness that they were on their way. Once she received a response, Ayala shut off all communication with anyone and focused on monitoring Ed. She could sense Chester's energy and she could sense the rate the energy was disappearing and she was worried, to say the least. The energy level kept shrinking and the effect it was having on Edward was becoming more and more pronounced. At first, his forehead was covered in sweat then he became unsteady on his feet, swaying slightly where he stood. His breath started becoming heavy pants and his face screwed up in pain before he let out a sudden gasp and Ayala sensed the energy being shut off. From what she could sense, Chester had maybe another few minutes worth of healing energy left and she relaxed tremendously. Ed didn't run out of the leopard's energy so he should recover after a lot of sleep. She felt a sudden shift in Ed and watched in horror as his eyes rolled up into the back of his head and he collapsed. She barely managed to get herself under him so his head didn't hit the unforgiving ground. His weight hit her and forced her to the ground but she didn't care. She re-positioned herself so Ed was laying on her like he would were they simply getting in some sleep at the library or something. She focused on how Ed was breathing while keeping her eyes and ears open for the Colonel or in case Archer or Drew managed to escape.

Mustang hadn't noticed Ed had even left the office until he heard his Lieutenants talking about him in worried voices. Evidently, the blonde had left nearly an hour ago to get himself some lunch and they were concerned because he should have been back by now. Mustang huffed in annoyance. If he had gone to get lunch and was taking too long to get back, Hawkeye would be accusing him of trying to avoid his work. He was finishing up with organising his desk when Nala suddenly shot up, scaring the crap out of Mustang, though he would deny that until his dying breath.

"What's wrong with you?" He asked but Nala ignored him for a few moments, obviously listening to something only she could hear. The next he felt was panic coming from her as she pulled herself up.

 _"Ed's been attacked!"_ She cried and Mustang swore. Of course. Only Edward could find trouble in the middle of Central Command. He followed his lioness out of the office as she past on the message from Ayala and the three members of his team spun to face him. Hawkeye had opened her mouth, whether to reprimand or question him Mustang wasn't sure, but he stopped her before she could.

"It appears Fullmetal has managed to get himself attacked by a member of the military. Ayala didn't pass along the name but she mentioned something about Chester and I'm not sure what happened. Ayala was apparently not interested in giving us details. They're halfway between here and the mess." He'd barely gotten those words out when Falman and Havoc disappeared out of the door, Nala in the lead. Without any words, he and Hawkeye followed them quickly, moving fast but not fast enough to alarm anyone who happened to see them. They followed the barely familiar path but were all forced to a sudden stop by Havoc. Mustang moved so he was standing next to his Second Lieutenant to ask what his problem was when he saw the unusual addition to the hallway. A vulture who was struggling weakly against the thick clamp holding it's neck to the ground. The more disturbing thing was the drying blood trail. Mustang and Nala let out a simultaneous growl as they realised who they were looking at. "That's Archer's Animal. We need to find Fullmetal, now."

It didn't take them long to find their missing team member and his Animal. Surprisingly, they also found Archer, right where Ed had trapped him. Mustang allowed his smirk to crawl onto his face as soon as he saw Archer. The restraints Ed had alchemised on him forced him to stay kneeling with his hands at his throat. Right now, the other man was not conscious, something Mustang was kind of annoyed with. Movement in front of and to his left drew his attention to his fallen subordinate. Ayala's fur was bloodied on her chest and down the front of her legs, explaining the blood trail, and Edward was sprawled on the ground, head resting on Ayala's torso, braid and clothing a complete mess. He almost looked like he'd just laid down and gone to sleep except for the way he was actually laying. Havoc was already kneeling next to Ed and checking his visible injuries and looking for internal ones. Ayala's golden eyes followed his every move. Falman had disappeared as soon as they saw Ed and Archer but Mustang wasn't concerned with that right now. He and Hawkeye approached Havoc and knelt down next to him while Nala curled up next to Ayala, simultaneously offering the wolf support and keeping an eye on Edward.

"How is he?" Mustang asked, kneeling next to Havoc as the man took Ed's pulse.

"Physically? He's okay. Minimal injuries and the what he does have is nothing to worry about. He does have a head injury so we need to keep an eye on that but it doesn't look severe enough to knock him out." Havoc sounded frustrated as he looked up at Mustang. "None of his injuries explain him being unconscious. Even if the head injury is more severe than what I think, which I doubt, he shouldn't have been able to restrain Archer _and_ be this far away from him. Something else had to have happened." Both men and Hawkeye looked at Ayala but none asked the question. They didn't have to. With a huff, the wolf spoke directly to Nala and Nala relayed the information to Mustang who then told Hawkeye and Havoc.

"According to Ayala, Ed and herself were able to dispense of Archer and Drew with relative ease however Ed started feeling sympathy pain from Chester." He paused, listening to Nala again before continuing. "Ayala says she's not actually sure what happened to Chester and Al but Chester got seriously hurt so Ed was forced to distance heal him after she was healed herself." Both Havoc and Hawkeye didn't need to ask why their Colonel looked both worried and exasperated. They all knew what the consequences of distance healing were and they got why Mustang was exasperated. Only Edward could find himself fighting someone at the same time Al and Chester were fighting someone hundreds of kilometres away then have to heal both Animals one after the other. Havoc swore.

"Did he use all of Chester's energy?" He asked and Ayala shook her head. He sighed, relieved. "At least that's something." Falman chose that moment to return, this time with some soldiers and their Animals in tow. Mustang had known immediately where his missing team member had disappeared to, the man having told him as he slipped away, and he gave him a nod of thanks. Standing, he addressed the three military police officers as Falman assumed Mustang old position next to Havoc.

"One of you will assist me and Warrant Officer Falman in releasing and escorting Lieutenant-Colonel Archer to the jail cells. The other two are to find someway to release and restrain his Animal before taking it to the Animal-holding cell." Mustang instructed and the three nameless officers nodded their agreement before separating themselves to do as they were ordered. "Lieutenants Hawkeye and Havoc, you will move Fullmetal and Ayala to my office and await further instructions." While she didn't look overly happy about leaving Mustang by himself, Hawkeye nodded before she and Havoc did as they were told. Havoc picked Edward up bridal-style, cautious of his injuries and automail, grunting slightly at the unexpected weight. Ayala immediately picked herself up and followed the two Lieutenants, sticking close to Havoc. Mustang and one the officers walked over to Archer and observed him for a moment while Mustang figured out the best way to get the man out of the stone cuffs Ed had expertly transmuted over his wrists. He knew very little about any alchemy other than fire but he did know the basics so, with a sigh, he pulled out some chalk from a pocket and quickly sketched out the array he needed on the place the cuffs joined up. A flash of blue later, he'd successfully destroyed the cuffs and Archer fell face first onto the ground. _Whoops_. The fall did have the desired effect of waking Archer up, something he did comically.

"Ah, Colonel Mustang." Archer said as he picked himself up and smoothed out his uniform as best he could. Falman stepped up to stand behind Mustang. "How's your little subordinate? Our discussion turned very unpleasant after the brat turned down my very generous offer." Archer drawled. Mustang nodded to the MP standing next to Archer and he immediately cuffed Archer's hands behind his back. Archer had the audacity to look completely shocked. "What do you think you're doing?" He snarled at Mustang, stepping forward threateningly despite the hold the soldier had on him. Nala immediately stepped protectively in front of her human and snarled at Archer, forcing him to re-evaluate that decision. Falman's fingers twitched towards his weapon.

"You attacked my subordinate without provocation. You're under arrest for assault, at the very least." Mustang informed him before he read him his rights as he and the soldier escorted Archer to the holding block. "I really suggest you execute your right to remain silent." Mustang requested. If Nala hadn't been worried about Ed, she'd have offered more than an eye-roll and snort of amusement as she trotted in front of their group, the soldiers Animal, a pretty Bengal cat, trotting next to her. Rachel and Falman were walking slightly behind Mustang, just in case. Naturally, Mustang's luck wasn't that good.

"Where's Drew? That bitch of a wolf injured him. I need to heal him." Archer demanded and Mustang had to tell Nala that no, she wasn't allowed to eat him. Yet.

"Your vulture is going to the Animal holding cell as we speak. You will be permitted to distance heal him once you're in your cell." Mustang told him, following the military's protocol's to the letter, though he'd be lying if he said he didn't get a small amount of satisfaction out of denying Archer his request. They'd finally reached the holding cells and Mustang filled out the necessary paperwork while the soldier and Nala escorted Archer to his new home. It was the only paperwork he was happy about doing. A few minutes later, Nala and the soldier came back. Falman took his place next to Mustang as Mustang addressed the third member of their party.

"Thank you for your asisstance, Officer..." Mustang realised he didn't know this man's name but he didn't seem offended.

"Officer Daniel Marks, Sir." He introduced himself. "This here is Serena, my Animal." Serena blinked at Mustang and Nala.

"Well, thank you, Officer Marks and Serena." Mustang dipped his chin down in a nod of thanks. "You may resume your normal duties now." Marks snapped a salute and left. Mustang turned his attention to Falman. "Wait here for Archer's Animal to be placed in the holding cell. Once he's finished healing him, report back to the office." Falman nodded his compliance. Mustang and Nala walked past the two other soldiers carrying Drew between them in a cage. He nodded to them and reminded them to fill in the appropriated paperwork before he and Nala continued on their way. He didn't want the headache of having to do that paperwork.

He finally got back to his office and Nala was more than eager to go inside and check on her favourite blonde. Mustang mumbled something about favouritism but opened the door for his outer office for her. His inner office door was still open and Nala wasted no time. Mustang was close behind her, eager to make sure his subordinate was still breathing. He was not surprised to see Hughes already waiting in his inner office. Havoc was still patching Ed up. He did have a lot of wounds but they were minor. The biggest concern was his head wound and the energy depletion. Surprisingly, Ed was not resting his head on Ayala but on Hawkeye's lap, his wolf instead laying curled up next to his feet. Soren, was perched up on the back of the couch, just behind Hawkeye's shoulder but so he was still able to keep his sharp eyes on the surrounds and Ed. Nala had made herself comfortable on the back of the couch, next to Soren and Leo was sitting next to his human's feet.

"How is he?" Mustang asked as he strolled in. Hughes had that twinkle in his eyes, the one that Mustang knew meant he was about to say something at Mustang's expense. Mustang shot him a look that told him now was not the time. Hughes took the hint.

"Resting. Ayala's been keeping her eye on Chester's energy level. From what she's told Mark, Ed has depleted nearly two thirds of Chester's energy healing the leopard before without feeling any side effects beyond the usual. My hope is that once Chester's energy level is up to about 40%, Ed will regain consciousness. Right now, Ayala says it's at about 15%. Considering she says he damn near used all of the energy, the fact that it's risen so much in such a short amount of time is really promising. Hopefully, he'll be up in the next couple of hours." Havoc told him, standing and gathering up his rubbish so he could dispose of it. "Once he wakes up, I'll know how severe his head injury is." Mustang nodded his understanding and Havoc left the room to throw the rubbish away. He greeted Falman and Rachel as they re-entered the room, causing Mustang to turn and watch his oldest subordinate walk in. A quirked eyebrow was all Falman needed to start talking.

"Someone from Investigations is already talking to him. Navaro, I believe. I didn't stick around to listen but from what I did hear, it'll be a open-and-shut case. Archer isn't holding anything back from him." Mustang looked at Hughes when the name of the interrogator was mentioned and he gave Mustang a small nod. The man could be trusted.

"Thank you, Falman." The grey-haired man nodded and Mustang spoke to the rest of them. "Alright, we need to get back to work. We can't do anything until we know what exactly happened and we won't find out until Fullmetal wakes up. Hughes, go and talk with Navaro once he's finished with Archer and take a few MP's to document the scene, just in case." Hughes nodded and, with a final glance at Ed's sleeping form, left with Leo on his heels. Falman and Havoc went back out into the outer office, though they weren't exactly pleased with it. Hawkeye went to hop up but Mustang stopped her. "No, you stay here with Ed. I'll help those two once I've finished up in here." Hawkeye didn't look totally convinced he'd do any work, something he was slightly offended by, but nodded and settled back down.

Mustang kept his word. He'd only had another half an hours amount of unpacking in his office to do and once that was done, he headed out into the main office and helped the two men. Once he got the hang of Hawkeye's preferred sorting system, he and the other two really got into a solid routine. He couldn't quite stop himself from finding any little excuse to walk past his office door or actually go inside to get a glimpse of Ed. He just had this overwhelming desire to keep him in his sight at all time. Havoc and Falman exchanged knowing smirks and Mustang scowled at them before they continued their work. Nearly three hours had gone by before Hawkeye called Havoc back into the inner office. Naturally, the other two followed him.

Hawkeye had been passing the time monitoring Edward's breathing and carding her fingers gently through his hair. It was an instinct she always caved to on the rare occasion Ed fell asleep on her and they were by themselves. She could only remember two such instances. She wasn't sure how long it had been since Colonel Mustang had gone out into the outer office to help her teammates but she had to guess it was over the two hour window that Havoc had tentatively guessed Ed would resume consciousness in. No sooner had that thought crossed her mind did Ed actually start stirring and Ayala sat up. Stopping her ministrations, she called out for Havoc to get himself back into the office and naturally saw all three of them answer her call. Havoc knelt so he was directly in front of Ed.

"Ed? Can you hear me?" Havoc asked and Ed half opened his eyes and stared at Havoc.

"Havoc?" His name came out kind of slurred and Ed sounded confused but Havoc didn't seem worried.

"That's right. You think you can sit up for me?" Ed seemed to mull that over before nodding and carefully began sitting himself up. One of Havoc's hands hovered next to his right arm, just in case he needed the help but he didn't. Once he was completely up, Ed seemed to notice Mustang, Falman and Hawkeye for the first time. Instead of looking angry at Mustangs presence, he just looked more confused.

"What happened?" He eventually asked as Havoc started checking his pupils.

"What do you remember?" Havoc countered, seemingly satisfied with his findings.

"Ayala and I," Ayala quickly sidled up to Ed's side and relaxed against him, "we were getting lunch and Archer grabbed me. Threw me into a wall before Ayala or I could do anything. Fucking bastard." Ed scowled.

"That's how you got your head injury?" Havoc interrupted and Ed reflexively raised a hand to feel the injury himself, wincing as his flesh fingers found the tender skin.

"Yeah. The frigging psycho then offered me the 'opportunity to work under him'. I told him to stick it. He did not appreciate that." Ed's brow knitted in concentration. "Drew went after Ayala. They wanted to separate us and it worked. Ayala got torn up by Drew's talons. Archer went after me. For a nutjob, the dude can fight. But I was able to trap Drew with Ayala's help, and she came back to help me with Archer. I took him down with well aimed jab to the throat and restrained him. Everything after that is a little foggy but I remember I had to contact Chester. He was hurt and I needed to know why. Al had been kidnapped by a homunculous and restrained so he couldn't fight but Chester wasn't. I helped him with getting Al loose but Chester got hurt really badly. He and Al managed to get out of there after Teacher entered the room. I had to distance heal Chester and I'm assuming that's why I was unconscious?" The question was aimed at Ayala and she nodded. Havoc was happy Ed remembered so much. It told him that his assessment on the head injury was correct.

"How do you feel?" He asked next.

"Tired. Bruised. Annoyed Archer managed to get the drop on me and that someone kidnapped my brother." Ed told him, too tired to try and lie about his injuries, and Havoc was pleased to hear the typical Elric attitude seeping into his words. Mustang was less happy to hear it.

"That's about what I expected. Take it easy for a couple of days, if you can. I suggest you contact Chester and tell him and Al that you're still alive." Havoc told him and Ed nodded. "There's some painkillers there if you need them." Havoc indicated to a little bottle next to him and Ed thanked him.

"We'll leave you alone to talk to Chester." Hawkeye said as she climbed to her feet and Soren perched on her shoulder. Mustang opened his mouth to argue but a glare from Hawkeye cut him off. "I'm sure Chester and Alphonse would appreciate knowing Edward is alright as much as Edward would appreciate the same." She informed him in a carefully calm tone. One look at the expression on her face told him not to bother arguing.

"Thanks, Miss Riza." Ed gave her a smile and she returned it before giving Havoc, Falman and Mustang a look that cautioned them against forcing her to draw her weapon. They took the hint. Hawkeye closed the door behind them and Ed suddenly found himself in blissful silence, alone except for Ayala and Nala. He didn't even question the lioness's presence anymore. Laying himself down on Ayala, Ed shut his eyes and brought up his and Chester's connection. "Hey, Ches, how you feeling?" The leopard answered immediately.

 _"I'll live. You?"_ Chester asked, worry bleeding into his voice. Ed released the breath he didn't even know he was holding.

"Same." Chester's relief was extremely evident through their bond. "I know I didn't heal everything. How are you really holding up?" He asked straight to the point and he felt Chester's slight embarrassment at being caught.

 _"Well, I still have cracked ribs and a lot of bruises but I swear I'm okay. I can wait until we get back to Central for you to heal me."_ Chester swore and Ed could feel his honesty.

"You're in pretty much the same shape I am." Ed chuckled. "When is Al planning on coming back?" Now that he knew Chester wasn't gonna die, he let himself relax.

 _"Actually, we're about to board a train bound for Central now."_ Chester nervously chuckled and Ed barely resisted the urge to facepalm.

"Of course you are. I should've known you were. Al is such a worry-wart." Ed sighed resigned. "When do you arrive?" He asked.

 _"We should arrive tomorrow morning providing there aren't any delays."_ Ed nodded. He'd still be able to give the Hughes' a heads up.

"Good. Now, what happened with the homunculous? Al carried you out before I could see." Ed asked now that the important things had been discussed.

 _"She told us that she figured out his ultimate shield and after a few rounds, he took off. She wasn't in the best of health at the time so she left it, knowing she and Koda would be able to sense him now. She would've almost killed Al if he'd been flesh and blood for getting himself kidnapped. I was spared thanks to the fact that I'd only just been healed and you were unconscious."_ Chester told him and Ed winced in sympathy for his brother. No one liked Teacher when she was mad. She was scarier than Miss Riza _and_ Winry put together.

"Jeez, poor Al. At least he'll have some distance between himself and her once he gets to Central." Ed joked and he felt Chester hold something back. His stomach dropped. "Chester? What are you not telling me?"

 _"Well, you see, the thing is that she might not be as far away as you'd hope."_ Dread filled Ed and Ayala perked up, carefully watching her human.

"Don't tell me." Chester's apology was raging through their bond.

 _"Sorry, Ed. She's on the train with us. She wanted a word with you about your abilities as well as other things."_ Chester told him solemnly and Ed felt like he was now living on limited time.

"She is going to murder me." He said seriously and Chester chuckled a little.

 _"I'm fairly certain she doesn't want to kill you. Just hurt you a lot."_ He said cheerfully and Ed rolled his eyes.

"Thanks, Ches. I feel a lot better." He said sarcastically and got himself a real laugh from the leopard.

 _"I'm here to help."_ Chester told him and Ed was the one to laugh this time. _"You should get some sleep while you can."_ Chester told him using their bond to check on his health.

"You mean before Teacher kills me?" Ed joked. Sort of. He felt the eyeroll from the leopard before he responded.

 _"Yeah, before that happens."_ Chester laughed.

"I feel the love, man." Ed snorted. "Have a safe trip. Say hello to Al for me. Tell him I'm not dead." Chester agreed and their connection was broken a moment later. He didn't need to look at either Animal in the room to know they were staring at him inquisitively. So he decided to just answer their question before they asked. "Al, Chester, Teacher, Koda and probably Sig and Suna are all on their way to Central. Apparently, Teacher wants to _talk_ about my abilities." He told them and he felt a physical tremor of fear run through Ayala. Nala just looked confused about their reaction. "I'll probably end up beaten to a bloody pulp, if not killed outright." Ed informed Nala and she looked horrified.

 _"I'm sure she's not that bad. Besides, Ayala and I would protect you if she was."_ Nala told him, completely serious.

"Thanks, Nala." He gave her a gentle smile, honestly touched she felt that protective of him. A massive yawn from Ed interrupted anything any of them were about to say.

 _"Get some sleep."_ Ed's head echoed with both Nala and Ayala's voice and he huffed out some laughter before he did as he was told. He was completely asleep withing a minute of shutting his eyes and, even though she knew it was because he was still recovering from healing Chester, Ayala was still a little concerned he listened with no arguments. The door creaked open after a few minutes and Mustang's face peeked through the crack. Ayala's lips lifted in a silent snarl, warning the man of the consequences should he wake her human. The door was swiftly and quietly closed as Mustang retreated. She saw Nala's lips lift in a slight grin of amusement and she copied her after a moment before she decided a nap wasn't a bad idea.

They were left alone for a couple of hours before Ayala was awoken by the door being opened again. She cracked an eye open and saw Hughes walking in. She was automatically on the lookout for his camera but Hughes gave her an amused smile and slight head shake. He wasn't there to take photos of Ed while he was asleep. Instead, he carefully placed a hand on Ed's flesh shoulder and gently shook it. Ayala didn't miss the fact that the others were waiting just inside the doorway.

"Ed? Time to get up, kiddo." He used a coaxing voice to try and get Ed to wake up. Mustang snorted softly. Hughes had come back only a few minutes ago and gave them the short version of what Navaro had been told by Archer. It was a little more detailed than the version they'd gotten from Ed. It wasn't until Havoc remarked how late it was that any of them had even realised the sun had practically set for the day. Mustang made the executive decision for them to call it a day and get some rest. They'd practically finished the unpacking anyway, only another couple of unpacked boxes and rubbish remained. Hawkeye looked like she wanted to protest when Hughes had piped up and said it would be a good idea to get Ed back to his before dark. That comment had caused a few moments awkwardness since everyone in the room knew how much Ed hated being woken up by anyone. Hughes eventually grinned and volunteered before he headed for the inner office. The rest of them followed, curious as to the outcome, even Hawkeye. To their surprise, Ed didn't startle awake, fist already swinging to take out the perceived attacker. Instead, he opened his eyes and blinked blearily up at Hughes, looking confused for a few seconds before he recognised the man in front of him.

"Hughes?" He asked, pulling himself up into a sitting position. Hughes' hand on his shoulder followed him automatically.

"Yeah. How are you feeling?" The bespectacled man asked, not even bothering to hide his concern.

"I'm fine. I just need a good nights sleep and Chester's energy should be back at 100%." He told him and Hughes gave him a look that made Ed roll his eyes. "Don't look at me like that. I said I'm fine and I am." Hughes held his hands up in surrender. Mustang was disappointed in the way Ed was acting. If it had been Mustang who'd woken him up, Ed would've hit him. Granted, Ed would hit him for any reason but still.

"Okay, well we need to head back home. It's a lot later than when we said we'd be back. I did call Gracia so she knows why but I'm sure my precious Elysia wants her big brother home in time for dinner." Hughes used his secret power of making a guilt trip not seem like a guilt trip. Judging from Ed's expression, he could see right through Hughes' bullshit.

"I'm sure you just want to avoid being lectured by a five year old because we weren't back for dinner." Ed smirked and Hughes laughed before standing, offering Ed his hand which the blonde accepted readily. Ayala and Nala leapt off the couch and joined their respective humans. That's when Ed finally noticed they had an audience. "Oh. Hey, guys." He said, somewhat lamely.

"Hey, yourself." Havoc said. "Glad you're up and about. I shouldn't really be surprised with how quickly you're recovering. Just another surprising Elric trait, I assume."

"What can I say? It's hard to kill us Elrics." Ed grinned at him and Hughes let out a bark of laughter as he clapped a hand down on Ed's shoulder.

"Gracia has asked me to invite you all over for dinner tonight and she warns that Elysia overheard her and is excited to see everyone tonight." Again with the secret power. Ed and Mustang rolled their eyes while the others all eventually gave in to Hughes' pleading and agreed to go over for dinner. Hughes was even more obnoxiously happy than usual as he led them out of the offices. Hawkeye handed Ed his two jackets they'd recovered from the scene and Ed gave her a grateful smile as he mended them and shrugged them both on. He didn't want to look like he was in a fight when he walked through their front door so he yanked his hair tie out of his hair and shook out the remainder of his braid before tossing it back up into a very messy pony-tail. There wasn't much chatter as they headed for the car park so they could take Hawkeye and Havoc's cars instead of walking. Falman, Havoc and Ed all took Havoc's car leaving Mustang to suffer Hughes by himself while Hawkeye drove. Ed did feel some pity for Nala but she told him she'd perfected the art of shutting Hughes out years ago so she didn't mind.

They pulled up in front of the Hughes' house and Ed wasn't the only one looking forward to dinner though he knew he needed to have shower first. He hadn't seen his reflection yet but he knew he was covered in grime, sweat and blood and that was not a pleasure mixture to have on yourself if you could help it. Hughes opened the door up and they were immediately greeted by a tiny missile of excitement in the shape of a five year old girl. Elysia seemed to stop for a moment to weigh up her options before deciding to go to her all-time favourite person; her father. However she didn't stick to him for very long. She gave his legs a squeeze before moving on to the next person immediately in front of her. She'd managed to hug Havoc, Hawkeye and Falman before she made it to Ed and he couldn't stop himself from hissing slightly as she collided with several painful bruises and scrapes.

"Big brother?" She asked knowing exactly what that noise meant. It meant her big brother was hurt. "You okay?" Hughes damn near melted at how cute his daughter was, all concerned for her big brother.

"Of course I am, El. I just got in a small scuffle, that's all." He gave her his best smile but for a five year old, she sure could see through Ed's bullshit. She frowned at him and pursed her lips in a clearly disbelieving manner and the resemblance between her and her mother was uncanny. "I swear." He added for good measure and she eventually accepted his word and gave him another hug around his legs before glomping onto the only person who managed to escape her greeting. Ed moved with the others and Gracia made herself known by poking her head through the kitchen doorway.

"Hello, everyone. I'm glad you could join us. Dinner will be ready in 15." The pointed look she gave Ed was enough for him to get his butt in the shower. After he finished cleaning himself up, he headed back out into the rest of the house to hunt down everyone else. Or at least, that's what he intended to do. Instead, he almost trampled over the top of Elysia as soon as he opened the bathroom door.

"Elysia!" He gasped as he managed to right himself without hurting her. He saw her eyes fall on his flesh arm where he had a bruise in the shape of Archer's hand from where he grabbed him to swing him into the alleyway wall plus a bunch of other small scratches, cuts and bruises.

"You did get hurt! You said you were okay!" She accused him, pointing a small finger at him and he sighed before crouching so he could look her in the eye. He glimpsed a golden figure lingering in one of the doorway further up the hall and knew Ayala was watching them.

"Yes, I did get hurt. I am also okay. The hurts I got are small. You remember when you burnt your fingers on the toast this morning?" She nodded her head, eyes looking awfully watery as she looked at his arm still. "Elysia, look at me." She did and he gave her a smile. "You remember that it didn't hurt anymore after a couple of minutes?" Another slow nod. "These hurts are like that. They don't hurt anymore. They just look like they do, okay?" Sniffling slightly, she gave another nod. Ed ruffled her hair lightly with his flesh hand. Before he could stand up, he was crash-tackled onto his butt by Elysia throwing her arms around his neck. She buried her head into the crook of his flesh shoulder and neck and squeezed tightly before she let go.

"I'm glad you're not badly hurt." She told him as she unraveled her arms from his neck and gave him a big smile.

"Me too, kiddo." He told her as he got up from the tiled floor. He was glad he was wearing a t-shirt instead of his tank top. She might not have reacted well to the large bruises on his neck and back.

"Mummy says dinner's ready, by the way." She told as she grabbed his hand and yanked him towards the kitchen with all the might she could gather. Ed had no choice but to follow and dump his dirty clothes on his suitcase as they went by. Ayala din't do anything to help his predicament either as she joined their journey to get food. Extra chairs had been grabbed but Ed and Elysia's usual ones had been left vacant. Gracia gave him a visual once over, frowning at the bruising she could see but Ed gave her a reassuring smile and she let it be for the moment. It was spaghetti and meatball night and Ed was more than happy to serve himself, Ayala and Elysia some up. He didn't fail to see the anger flick across Mustang's face every time he saw the hand-shaped bruise on his arm. Part of him thought Mustang was angry at him for getting hurt. Another part of him berated himself for caring what Mustang thought.

Dinner was a rather lively affair. Everyone was talking to everyone else. No one acted like their boss was in the room. Ed and Falman found themselves listening to the chatter more often than joining in but neither were upset about it. Elysia seemed to be trying to chat to everyone at the same time and was loving having so many people in the house. Once everyone was finished, Gracia started clearing plates and Ed hopped up to help her. She did kick him out of the kitchen once everything was cleared off the table. He'd learnt his lesson about arguing with her and left without a fuss, joining everyone back in the dining room. Gracia followed him back out and took Elysia upstairs to have a shower, leaving the adults to discuss anything that needed discussing without a child present. Hughes seized the opportunity immediately.

"So, Ed, what happened today?" He asked as soon as they heard the shower start running. Ed's brows scrunched together in confusion.

"I'm fairly certain I already told them," he pointed to Mustang and his team, "and you heard it from whoever interrogated Archer." Hughes shook his head.

"I only got the condensed version from Navaro and your version wasn't very detailed either, from what I've heard. Than there's what happened with Al and Chester." Hughes told him and Ed actually had to think back to what he'd told Mustang and the others before he realised Hughes was right. Sighing, he started talking.

"I was heading to the mess hall to get some lunch when Archer grabbed me and threw me into one of the alleyway walls before Ayala could even warn me. She tackled him off of me and I asked him what he was doing. He proceeded to offer me a job working under him." Even though he knew they already knew about the job offer, he still saw some surprise on some of their faces. "He took my silence as interest rather disbelief that someone could actually be that wacked out their brain because he tried to tell the pros of working under him. His main selling point was that I'd be out from under you." He looked at Mustang directly. "Gotta say, that was almost tempting but I have a strict policy about not accepting job offers from people who throw you into a brick wall. Anyway, after I told him to shove it where the sun don't shine, he got really pissy and Drew made himself known. He offered again, I told him to go screw himself and we fought. Drew went for Ayala to keep her away from me while I dealt with Archer. We almost had them at one point. Ayala had managed to pin Drew on his back by his wings and was so close to tearing out his throat but the feathery bastard remembered he had talons and tore open her chest, forcing her to let go of him. Drew managed to drive Ayala out of the alleyway but we finally figured out a way to win. I knocked Archer into a wall hard enough to leave him dazed for a few seconds and we linked our sight. I used our bond to transmute a cuff around his throat and keep him on the ground. Archer recovered enough just as I ended out sight share to land a solid kick to my chest and draw his gun but Ayala got to him first. Then I felt Chester get injured and decided to wrap things up quickly by punching him in the throat and used the same alchemy trick for his wrists that I used on Drew." That was certainly much more descriptive than what they were given before.

"And Chester and Al?" Hughes prompted after giving Ed some time to catch his breath after that report.

"I don't actually have all of the details on that." Ed said, tapping his finger on the table. "From what Chester told me while he was fighting and after I woke up, he and Al were attacked by one homunculous and three of his minions. They, by the way, were chimeras and they were mixed with their Spirit Animals." He saw open disgust on everyone's faces. "Yeah. The homunculous had kidnapped Al to learn how his blood seal worked so he could do the same thing. Joke's on him because Al has no clue how it works. Only I do. Anyway, one of these chimera's was controlling Al from the inside somehow but Chester was standing between Al and the others, preventing them from getting to Al. I linked our sight so I could see what exactly was happening and I had Chester cut Al's chest plate off and severely injure the chimera inside of him so Al could get her out and join the fight. Unfortunately, biting that chimera made the others so angry that Chester got kicked clear across the room by the biggest one and that's how he got so severely injured. Al was in the fight for all of two seconds before our teacher kicked down their door so she could yell at Al for leaving the broom out. She told Al to get Chester out of there while she dealt with the others and Al did as he was told. Last thing I saw was the hallway they were going through before I disconnected our sight and healed Ayala then Chester. I lost consciousness and woke up in the office." He finished up before glancing down at Ayala. "That reminds me, you're getting a bath some time tonight." He told her telepathically and she whined her displeasure.

 _"Did you forget about something?"_ Ayala asked and Ed looked a little confused before he clued on to what she was trying to remind him.

"Also," he got their attention again. "Al and Chester are on a train back here right now. My teacher, her husband and their Animals are also on that train. Is it cool if Al crashes here? Teacher and Sig will probably get a hotel room." He asked Hughes, who nodded immediately.

"Of course it's okay! You know both you boys are welcome here anytime. Elysia will be thrilled to have both her big brothers stay here." He grinned and Ed relaxed a little. He hadn't really thought Maes would say no but there was still that little bit of doubt.

"Your teacher is coming down as well?" Havoc asked and Ed nodded.

"Yup. She'll be here to kill me." He told them and both Havoc and Falman blanched at that statement. They were the only two who hadn't been told stories about his and Al's lessons. "Well, Ches said that she just wanted to talk but Teacher doesn't know how to talk without violence."

"Why would she want to kill you?" Falman asked, genuinely concerned for his safety.

"Well, I went and committed the ultimate taboo and almost killed myself, my brother and our Animals in the process. I got these abilities and never told her. Al and I are being hunted by homunculi because we committed the taboo which was my fault. Oh, and I joined the military." Ed ticked each reason off a finger. "There's probably more reasons but those are the main ones." Ayala's head cocked to the side slightly and Ed mimicked her to see what she was listening to. He couldn't pick anything up and the others had noticed what he was doing and were looking at him in confusion before the sound of footsteps reached them. Elysia was done with her shower and was coming back down to join them. All talk of murderous teachers was put on hold as the five year old rounded the corner and took her seat once again.

"What are you talking 'bout?" She asked as soon as she settled next to Ed. Five pairs of eyes flicked to Hughes to take the lead with this.

"We were just talking about how your other big brother is coming back tomorrow and that he's bringing some friends with him." Elysia's face lit up with unbridled joy.

"Big brother Al's coming here?!" She squealed and looked at Ed for confirmation.

"Yup. Chester told me himself." He said just as Gracia came down the stairs, figuring that's where her daughter had ended up.

"Mummy! Big brother Al is going to be here tomorrow!" Elysia shouted as soon as she saw her mum.

"Really?" She asked, soft smile on her face and Elysia gave her an enthusiastic nod. "It's been a while since we've seen him. It'll be good to have him back in the city. Maybe he can keep your other big brother out of trouble." She winked at Ed who let out a bark of laughter.

"I wouldn't bet on it." He chuckled and Ayala nodded her agreement. The joke went over Elysia's head but it caused the vast majority of the dinner guests to roll their eyes. All of them knew trouble followed the Elrics like a persistent and dangerous puppy.

"Let's head into the lounge room. You guys can tell me what your move was really like then I can bring you guys up to speed on what I told Ed and Roy." Hughes suggested. He knew Elysia would be going to bed shortly anyway so he wasn't worried about her overhearing anything she shouldn't. They could save that talk for after she left the room. So they all relocated to the lounge room and claimed a spot each. It was a bit of a squeeze but everyone managed to get a spot on the couch while Hughes claimed the armchair as his own. Elysia decided to situate herself in her mother's lap. The Animals had to make do with what they had. Ayala managed to squeeze herself next to Ed while Nala lounged across the back of Mustang's couch and the others were all small enough to actually sit on their humans laps. Falman started them off with his version of the move which was uneventful. They got a much more entertaining story from Havoc who had to break up with his girlfriend at the time. Falman caught Ed's eye and rolled his eyes, making Ed have to struggle to keep a straight face as Havoc wove them a story of devastating heartbreak. By the time Hawkeye was wrapping up her story (dragged out by the fact that Ed had no clue who Black Hayate was), Elysia was yawning more often than not and it didn't take much coaxing from her parents to get her to follow her mother up to bed.

Maes had disappeared as soon as his daughter was out of sight to go and grab the map and pins again. Ayala spread herself out a bit more now that Gracia had moved. Hughes reemerged to see his coffee table cleared off to make room and his Animal stealing his chair. The halfhearted glare he sent Leo's way went unnoticed by the fox. He spread the map out but he didn't have to do much in the way of placing the pins since he never took them out when he packed everything away. Ed and Roy were the only ones who didn't bother getting up to check out what he was showing them. Unsurprisingly, none of them understood what they were looking at. Mustang would've been surprised if they had. He hadn't recognised it for what it was for a few minutes. Surprisingly though, one of them did manage to hazard a guess at what they were looking at.

"That's a transmutation circle, isn't it? An incomplete one but that's what they're building, right?" Unsurprisingly, it was Hawkeye who managed the guess. Mustang figured it was only logical that out of the non-alchemists, she'd be the one to figure it out. Her father was Mustang's teacher after all.

"Yes. We believe the homunculi are going to do something to Fort Briggs to complete it." Mustang said as he joined the group around the table. He pointed to the general area he was talking about. "None of us could think of anywhere near there that would be targeted to complete this circle."

"What's so special about these places? Why were they targeted?" Havoc asked as he stared at the map like it might give him the answer.

"Each place that has a pin in it is the location of major bloodshed, be it a war like Ishval or the uprising in Liore." Hughes told him. "While there have been skirmishes at the border, we don't believe they've been big enough to count." Gracia interrupted them momentarily as she slipped back into the room and she and Lilith joined Ed and Ayala on the couch.

"So you think they will somehow be able to orchestrate an attack at Fort Briggs, without it looking out of place, that's large enough to be used to complete the circle?" Again, Havoc was the one to ask. "How?" He questioned and everyone was quiet before Ed spoke up.

"The Drachmans." Six pairs of human eyes were suddenly trained on him. He decided to expand on his answer. "If a sizable platoon of Drachmans were to suddenly attack Fort Briggs, who would question the Briggs soldiers being forced to wipe them out?" Mustang was already shaking his head and Ed found himself growing angry that he was already shooting down his theory.

"No, that wouldn't work. Fort Briggs has a reputation as being impassable. The Drachmans would never mount an attack they knew they would lose." He told them.

"What if I told you I knew its weakness?" That got their curiousity piqued. "A sure-fire way to take it down with minimal loss of life?"

"So tell us." Mustang smirked but Ed could see the curiousity raging in his eyes.

"Actually, I don't know any weakness. I'd never heard of this Fort until you brought it up!" He reminded him and Mustang wasn't the only one who looked confused. "Now imagine I'd said that to a Drachman General. What do you think his reaction would be if I told him that I knew of a way to take out Fort Briggs and it required less than 100 men?" He raised a brow and watched as comprehension made its way onto everyone's face.

"That's actually brilliant." Falman said and Ed tried not to take any offense to how stunned he sounded. "All they'd need to do is send a soldier, or someone pretending to be one, to act as a traitor and lay the bait."

"And they'd lead them like pigs to the slaughter. Everyone knows how ruthless Major General Armstrong is. She'd cut them all down like they were nothing and complete the circle without even knowing it." Havoc finished Falman's train of thought.

"Someone's going to have to talk to Major General Armstrong." Hawkeye announced and Mustang groaned internally. He'd already thought about that but the idea of going and talking to the Ice Queen was very unappealing. "I highly doubt she would be a willing participant in this plan. I believe the best course of action is sending someone to Fort Briggs to explain everything we've learnt to her so that she is aware that she is being manipulated. We may even be able to prevent this final bloodshed from happening." Hawkeye had a very good point. Even Mustang had to admit that talking to the Major General would be better than leaving her in the dark.

"Who would you even send?" Hughes asked and Mustang's eyes fell immediately on Ed. Ed didn't raise the expected fuss Mustang expected.

"Fine. But I'm not leaving until Al is here and Teacher has gone home or at least finished with me." He lay down his terms. Ayala had been listening carefully before she frowned in apparent confusion.

 _"Isn't Fort Briggs a freezing climate? Like, constantly snowing?"_ She asked Ed.

"Yeah. What's your point?" Ed asked out loud, making Mustang pause in accepting the blonde's previously laid out terms.

 _"Then you'll need to get fitted for cold-climate automail, won't you?"_ Ayala asked, even though she already knew the answer. Comprehension flooded Ed's face and he turned back to Mustang.

"Oh yeah and I need to get cold-climate automail fitted. That could take a week. I'd have to ask Michella to ask Winry how long exactly." Ed told him before turning back to Ayala. "Could you contact Michella for me? Tell her to tell Winry it's a rush job and that we'll let her know when we're travelling down her way once Al and I talk." Ayala nodded and shut her eyes. Ed looked back at Mustang. "Once Winry gives me a time frame, I can talk to Al about when we leave."

"So, what? It'll be nearly a fortnight before you're at Fort Briggs." Mustang said after doing the math mentally.

"Thereabouts. Could be sooner if Winry can get my automail ready sooner." Ed caught sight of Mustang's unimpressed look. "I guess I could go into a frozen climate with the automail I've got now and risk frostbite. That would mean I'd be hospitalised because of it and we all know what happens if I get stuck in a hospital, especially if it happened because someone decided chucked a fit and stopped me from getting it because it would take too long." His tone was defensive and snarky. Havoc and Hughes tried not to grin at Mustang's face as he shrunk under Hawkeye's reprimanding look. Falman's face was completely straight though Hughes thought he saw a glint of humour in his eyes.

 _"Winry says she can have a complete set ready within a week and that she'll start on them tomorrow morning. Garfeil has already okayed it."_ Ayala suddenly spoke up and Ed looked a little surprised and suspicious.

"Is that all she said?" He asked, keeping the conversation telepathic and effectively blocking everyone else out.

 _"Well, there was the promise of making your bank account bleed and that if you so much as complained about the time it takes, she'd brain you with her new favourite wrench."_ Ayala informed him and he nodded sagely.

"That sounds more like a message from Winry." He chuckled, far too used to Winry's threats to be scared of them anymore. Unless he actually saw the wrench in her hand, in which case he used Al as a human shield and felt no shame in doing so.

"Wouldn't the snow affect Al's seal, though?" Hughes' voice broke through Ed and Ayala's little bubble. Ed considered that for a moment.

"I don't think so. Rain doesn't affect it, though we usually don't go out in the rain anyway." Ed said a little hesitantly. They'd never traveled through the snow before, especially not somewhere with as much snow as the north end of the country. Central didn't get much snow and they were always off on one mission or another so they never really noticed if East City got anything. But it had been raining when Scar attacked them and they were out in it all day so snow shouldn't be an issue for it. "We will be fine." Ed decided. They always were. Hughes didn't seem overly convinced and he wasn't the only one.

"I don't think it's a good idea for you two to go there by yourselves. You should have someone who's been to the Fort with you. Someone who can help just in case something goes wrong." Hughes imploringly looked at Mustang who sighed and caved in. Ed's bitching about having a babysitter was much more enjoyable than Hughes' sulking, especially now they were in the same city.

"I'll assign someone to accompany you and Al to Fort Briggs." As he thought, Ed did not take kindly to that.

"I don't need a babysitter! No offence, guys, but Al and I are perfectly capable of looking after ourselves! We've done pretty well for the past four years!" He protested vehemently and Ayala was just as unimpressed as he was, though she couldn't really vocalise it.

"I wasn't asking your opinion, Fullmetal. Consider this an order. As soon as your mechanic has your automail ready, you are to head down to her to get it fitted before heading straight back to Central. Whoever I assign will be waiting at the train station to board then you'll leave immediately for Datepul. It's the last town with a train station closest to Fort Briggs." Ed and Ayala both growled and Mustang was almost surprised at how similar they sounded. Ed's eyes flicked to Nala, who was still laying on the back of the couch, lazily watching the ongoing discussion.

"I hate your human." If he couldn't argue against Mustang's orders, he'd bitch to the one closest to Mustang. Nala's lips curled up into a slight grin.

 _"I don't think you do."_ She told him and he glared daggers at her. She wasn't overly phased. He turned his attention back to Ayala, studiously ignoring the smug look on Mustang's face.

"Maybe we could ditch the babysitter? What if we told them the day we were heading back to Central but left a day earlier?" Ed suggested and Ayala hummed it over. She didn't think they needed someone else to join and was rather outraged by the unspoken notion that she and Chester weren't good enough to look after their humans.

 _"It could work, unless they tell your brother about the escort. You know Al wouldn't let you ditch them."_ Ed groaned. That was a very good point. Al had this thing where he thought Ed should obey all the orders he was given without trying to wiggle his way out of them.

"What do you think our chances are of Al not finding out about the escort?" Ed asked, already knowing what Ayala would say.

 _"Slim to none."_ She didn't even hesitate with her answer. Ed nodded glumly. That's about what he figured too.

"Stop plotting how you're going to ditch your escort." Mustang called and Ed's glare landed on him.

"For your information, we're not. Ayala was just commenting how wonderful it was; the level of faith you have in her and Chester's abilities to keep me and Al safe." So it was a white lie covering a full lie. Ayala didn't even mind being used as an excuse. She just huffed haughtily at Mustang and placed her head on her paws and shut her eyes. Mustang eyes widened slightly as he realised how his order had been perceived by Ayala. Being on the wolf's bad side was not a place he wanted to be. He said the first thing that came to mind to defend himself.

"It was Hughes' idea!" Childish? Yes. Maes made an offended noise as he realised his best friend just tried throwing him under the bus.

"Hughes _suggested_ it. You _implemented_ it." Ed pointed out, almost sadistic glee in his voice. Hughes was grateful for the save. He'd rather Mustang be on Ayala's bad side than himself. Everyone else seemed either amused by the situation or exasperated by it. Hawkeye decided to call it a night. She didn't need to watch her boss flounder as he figured out the best way to apologise to the golden wolf.

"Thank you for the lovely dinner, Gracia, and thank you for the invitation, Lieutenant-Colonel Hughes." She said as she stood. Gracia and Maes mimicked her movement, as did Havoc and Falman.

"Please, it's Maes or Hughes when we're not in public." Hughes smiled at her and she nodded. Ed and Mustang hopped up off the couch and escorted the others to the door. While Havoc and Falman were busy saying goodbye to the Hughes', Hawkeye managed to get herself next to Ed.

"Make sure you get plenty of rest tonight. Don't think you're fooling anyone. We can see how tired you still are from healing Chester. And try not to fight with the Colonel, okay?" Her expression was professional but Ed could see the slight concern there, especially when she placed her hand on his shoulder and squeezed slightly.

"I'll do my best." He promised and she gave him a slightly grateful grin before saluting Mustang and following her fellow teammates out of the door with a final thank you and goodbye to the Hughes'. Mark, Rachel and Soren had all bade Ed goodnight as they left and he returned the sentiment before the door was shut behind them. Everyone moved back into the lounge room but Gracia and Maes hovered in the doorway while the other two made themselves comfortable.

"We're gonna head to bed. Night, guys!" Hughes proclaimed and headed for his room while Gracia also wished them a good night, leaving once Ed and Mustang had done the same. Ed was about to go to bed when he remembered he still hadn't given Ayala a bath and after much complaining from the wolf, he got her in the bathroom and cleaned in no time. Teasing her for making such a big fuss over nothing, they both headed back into the lounge room, Ayala sulking slightly.

Once Ed had got himself comfortable on the couch, Ayala snuggled into Ed's chest and he curled around her, back facing his boss, and placed her head on his rib cage so she could make sure nothing snuck up on them. Hawkeye was right about how tired he still was. He fell asleep almost immediately. She watched Nala pretty much slither off the back of her couch and curl up on Mustang. He was camped on his back but Ayala saw his eyes flick her and Ed's way a few times before she finally managed to fall asleep.

Ed should've known his luck would've run out when it came to nights without nightmares. In this one, he was in his childhood home. It was open and bright and smelled like the freshly picked wildflowers he and Al would sometimes gather for their mum. It looked like it always did on a typical summer day, the windows opened and Ed could hear someone moving around in the kitchen. But when he peeked around the corner, no one was there. Confused, he headed upstairs for his mother's room. He was halfway up the stairs when he realised he didn't have any automail. He pulled off his right glove to check and was greeted with flesh where metal should have been. Shaking his head to clear the confusion, he called out for Ayala but the wolf didn't make an appearance. He passed his old room and then Al's before he reached his mother's room. As he reached for the handle, he had the sudden urge to get out of the house, to do anything except open that door. His hand was on the door knob and he relished the feel of the metal under his right hand. All of his instincts were screaming at him to just turn around and leave the room untouched but his insatiably curious side demanded to know why he shouldn't go in and that was the side he gave into.

The door opened smoothly and Ed frowned at that. His mum's door always creaked when you opened it. She'd always refused to get it fixed because it always woke her if one of the boys had come into her room because they couldn't sleep or had a bad dream. It was dark in the room and a quick glance at the windows showed the curtains had been drawn shut. His attention was drawn by movement in the direction of his mother's bed. Someone was curled up in it, covers drawn over their face so all that peeked out was their hair. The lack of light showed that it wasn't blonde hair and Ed realised it had to be his mother. Excitement flooded through him as he headed towards and he almost missed the change in light as he passed the doorway. The silhouette of a small girl and large dog stood prominently in the doorway. He didn't need to see their faces to know who they were.

"Nina? Alexander? What are you two doing here?" He asked as he changed his course over to them.

"Wanna play, big brother Ed?" Nina asked, her voice as sweet and cheerful as it had ever been and Alexander let out a big bark of excitement. He took another step towards them when he heard a small thud and dripping coming from the other end of the room. He looked back and saw that monstrosity he and Al had created on the floor, one of its arms lay separate from its body and thick, gluggy, black blood fell from the wound. Ed turned so his back was to Nina and Alexander, shielding the little girl from the sight, his left arm thrust back so he could push her out of the room when his fingers touched a mixture of long, soft hair and short, poofy fur. Snatching his hand back as though he'd been burnt, he spun to face Nina only to be faced with the chimera made from them. "Ed-ward? Wanna play, big brother Ed?" It asked in that slow, horrible voice and Ed backed away from it. The sound of something being dragged along the ground made him remember the other thing in the room and he turned so he could keep both creatures in his sight. The sight of their failed transmutation pulling itself across the floor made him want to throw up. _Ed._ He felt the back of his leg hit something behind him and he slowly looked down to see a black military boot. _Ed._ His eyes moved from the boot to the military pants then to the military jacket before landing on the big, red stain blooming on the chest of the jacket. _Ed!_ Finally his eyes lifted to the face and met the blank, dead stare of Hughes.

"No, this isn't right." Ed whimpered as he looked at the face of his dead friend. "You're alive. I saved you!" Those dead eyes just looked back at him before they suddenly blinked and Maes was pulling himself to his feet.

"Did you? Or did you just delay the inevitable?" His voice rasped and Ed flinched. _Ed, wake up!_ Fur and hair brushed against his hand and he threw himself away from the chimera, the dead Hughes and the failed transmutation and backed up until he was in the corner of the room before he sank to the ground, tears streaming down his face as the three of them approached him.

"Big brother Ed, you wanna play?" - "Did you really save me?" - "How come you couldn't make mummy better, Edward?" _EDWARD, WAKE UP!_

Ed's eyes snapped open as Ayala's voice finally broke the nightmares hold on him and he sat up, gasping for air. Ayala was sitting on his lap still but watching him with worried eyes and nudging his face. To his embarrassment, he felt tears still slipping down his cheeks and Ayala licked them away. He didn't even complain about how gross that was. She waited as calmly as she could while he worked to get his breathing and heartbeat back to normal. He stole a glance at Mustang and saw the man was still asleep. He thanked every god he could think of for that small mercy. Wiping his tear stained and slobber covered face, he finally got himself calmed down enough for Ayala to stop her fretting. With a sigh, he laid back down and Ayala immediately curled herself next to him and let him bury his face in her fur.

"I'm sorry." He whispered to her and he felt her nuzzle his hair causing him to relax slightly. "I didn't wake anyone else, did I?" He assumed he hadn't since neither Gracia or Maes had come down to check on him and Mustang hadn't gotten up him for disrupting his sleep but you never knew.

 _"Only Nala but I told her you were fine."_ Ayala briefly considered telling him the truth, that the Colonel had woken up and even half rose from the couch to check on him before Ayala growled at him, but she knew he would be mortified. Mustang had sat there watching them as Ayala tried to get Ed to wake up before he woke himself up screaming. He only lay back down once Ed had bolted upright and, for all intents and purposes, looked asleep. Nala had been almost as worried as Ayala and had considered refusing to listen to the wolf and check on Ed herself but managed to hold herself back. Ed nodded into her fur, relief rolling through their bond and she knew she'd made the right choice. She didn't bother asking what the nightmare was about or if he wanted to talk about it since she already knew, thanks to their bond. So, she sent a nice, calm, safe feeling through the bond and waited until Ed had eventually fallen back asleep before following his lead. The last thing she saw before sleep claimed her was two pairs of dark eyes full of concern watching Ed from across the room.

Ed awoke the next morning to a lot of noise coming from the kitchen. The first thing he realise upon waking up was how late it was. The second this he noticed was the lack of Elysia in the room and his brain immediately came to the conclusion that the noise was being caused by the five year old. Climbing out of bed, he noted the empty second couch as he made his way into the kitchen to rouse on the would-be miniature chef only to find Mustang rifling through the cupboards while Nala sat unhelpfully next to the doorway. He felt Ayala reach his side and her shock once she realised what she was looking at. A quick look around showed no Elysia nor adult Hughes' before a loud clatter and curse brought his attention back to his boss.

"Whatcha doing?" He asked, causing Mustang to startle and spin on his heel to face the threat. Ed was slightly amused to see Mustang's cheeks had a pink tinge to them as he relaxed his stance.

"Trying to make myself breakfast." He ground out and Ed sighed before considering his choices here.

"Give me five minutes and I'll give you a hand." He eventually said and, not waiting for Mustang's answer, disappeared to get his clothes and get dressed. When he returned, he found the kitchen in the same mess it was before and Mustang leaning casually against the counter. "What do you want to eat?" He asked as he walked through the doorway.

"Ah, french toast was what I was trying to make but I couldn't find anything." Mustang said, sounding a little confused. Ed ignored him and grabbed everything he needed from the fridge and cupboards and put things that Mustang had pulled out that were unnecessary. Ed heard Elysia running down the stairs and had Ayala head her off. She came back with the little girl in tow.

"Morning, El." Ed called, smiling brightly at her and she grinned back before hugging him around the legs.

"Morning, big brother. Whatcha making?" She asked immediately and Ed let out an amused snort. The kid had her priorities straight; food before anything else. She made a small noise when she noticed Mustang for the first time. "Oh, morning, Uncle Roy!" She said sweetly.

"Good morning, Elysia. What are you doing up so early?" Mustang asked and she looked slightly confused before answering her uncle.

"I'm not up early, Uncle Roy!" She insisted and looked at Ed for back up.

"It's true. Normally we have brekky ready by now, don't we, El?" Elysia nodded emphatically and Ed ruffled her hair. "Wanna learn how to make french toast?" He asked her and she answered by getting her little stool and setting it up next to him. "Okay, you can crack the eggs into this bowl, okay?" He watched her carefully as she did as instructed. Once done, he checked for any stray pieces of shell before giving her a fist bump for getting no shell in the bowl. Her grin was so wide it almost split her face in two.

"What's next?" She asked, eager to do more and Ed wasn't the only one smiling softly at her enthusiasm.

"Okay, now we need to add vanilla and cinnamon. Do you wanna do that then I'll mix it all together?" He asked and she furrowed her brows as she considered the question.

"Can I mix?" She eventually asked.

"I dunno. You think you can mix everything together without spilling any?" He asked her seriously and she slowly shook her head, looking sadly at her bare feet. Ed tickled her under the chin, coaxing a giggle out of her and making her look back up at him. "What if I mix these together and you can do the mixing when we add the milk?" He offered as a compromise and she lit up again.

"Okay!" She said and made grabbing motions for the vanilla and cinnamon so they could get a move on. Ed handed her the ingredients and measuring tools she needed and told her how much of each and waited patiently as she carefully measured out each spoonful. Once she was done, she watched as Ed scooped it up and expertly whisked the ingredients together.

"Right. Now, I'll pour the milk in while you whisk everything. Ready?" He asked as he placed the bowl back on the counter top and handed her the whisk. Movement on the edge of his vision reminded Ed that they actually had an audience outside of Ayala this morning. Mustang was watching the whole scene with an expression Ed couldn't place yet seemed so familiar. While Elysia was busy mixing the milk in the mixture, Ed got himself busy turning the hot plates on so the fry pans were ready to cook the toast. Turning back to his mini-apprentice, he had her stop the whisking. "Alright, now we need to coat the bread. Ready?" Elysia took the piece of bread he handed her and watched as he placed his piece in the mixture and, using the tongs, drowned the bread before transferring it to the fry pan to get it cooking.

"Do I have to touch it?" She asked, looking at the liquid apprehensively.

"Did I touch it?" Ed asked as he flipped the toast before looking back at her, amused expression on his face.

"No." She said thoughtfully.

"There you go. Get yourself some tongs and start drowning some bread, kiddo." Ed pointed to the second pair of tongs and smirked at Elysia who giggled delightedly at being able to play with the food without getting the mixture on her fingers. Ed was in charge of transferring the dunked bread to the fry pan and cooking them until they were crispy and golden.

"Did you actually want me to do anything?" Mustang spoke up for the first time since Elysia arrived in the kitchen. Ed and Elysia both looked over at him, one more calculatingly than the other.

"What do you think, boss lady? Do you think there's anything Mustang can do?" He nudged Elysia as he kept up with the cooking and she hummed thoughtfully, even going so far as tapping a finger on her chin.

"He can get drinks! We should have coffee!" She exclaimed delightedly. She heard Ed clear his throat pointedly. "I'll just have orange juice." She tacked on, grinning sheepishly.

"Good try, El." He smirked before facing Mustang again. "You heard the boss. Cups are over there, juice is in the fridge, coffee is over there." He pointed in the directions of each thing before turning back to the toast. He heard movement behind him and some muffled muttering but he paid no attention to it. Soon they heard more footsteps coming downstairs and Elysia jumped off her stool to greet her parents with a morning hug, leaving Ed and Roy in the kitchen by themselves.

"You do know I could have cooked breakfast myself?" Mustang said the second Elysia had disappeared. Ed nodded. "So why did you decide to take over?" Ed seemed to pause for a moment before he continued with cooking. He was nearly done. For a moment, Mustang thought he wasn't going to answer but he eventually did.

"Elysia and I have been cooking breakfast together since the morning after the park." Ed didn't need to be more specific than that. "It just, it reminds me of when Al and I were kids and we'd make mum something for breakfast. Plus, it's nice being able to do some cooking. I don't usually get the chance considering how much we move around." Mustang didn't say anything and Ed didn't look at him, embarrassed at what he just said. Mustang was just stunned Ed was being so honest. He didn't even know Ed knew _how_ to cook, let alone that he enjoyed it. Ed cleared his throat self-consciously. "Besides, I figured Gracia wouldn't appreciate her kitchen being destroyed." And with that jab, Mustang saw Ed put his walls back up just as Elysia came back into the kitchen with her parents.

"Wow, I didn't think you two could be awake in the same room together and not start an argument." Hughes commented dryly as he spotted them. Gracia swatted his arm as she moved past him to help Ed with plates and cutlery. Mustang and Ed both shot him a deadpan look that made him laugh before they headed for the dining room, Mustang and Hughes being forced to carry the coffee Mustang had brewed. Ayala, Nala, Lilith and Leo happily trotted into the dining room for breakfast, following the delicious scent of french toast. Once everyone was seated, the food was handed out and the Animals chowed down, giving Ed and Elysia their due praise that Ed happily passed on to the little girl.

 _"Morning, Ed. Just letting you know we were delayed overnight in Nefkaum for mechanical reasons. We're leaving their station now so we should be in Central in a couple of hours."_ Chester suddenly said, causing Ed to jump a little from the unexpected contact.

"Okay, thanks Chester. We'll see you soon." Ed said back and the connection was cut off again. "Ches says they'll be here in a couple of hours." He helpfully passed along to everyone, knowing one of them was about to ask.

"So, we'll get to meet this infamous teacher of yours soon." Hughes said casually and Ed nodded slowly before he actually realised something.

"Do you guys have a side gate?" A little startled by the seemingly randomness of the question, Maes nodded and Ed sighed in relief. "Good. That means Koda will be able to get to the yard without wrecking anything. If the gate's not big enough, one of us can widen it with alchemy." He seemed to be saying that last part to himself.

"Who's Koda?" Gracia finally asked after a moment, much to the relief of the two men at the table.

"Oh, yeah. I should have probably given you a heads up." Ed said, a little apologetic. "My teacher, Izumi, has a Black Bear for an Animal. That's Koda. Sig, her husband, has a Golden Retriever, Suna." He explained and three pairs of eyes widened in surprise.

"Your teacher's Animal is a bear?" Mustang asked incredulously.

"Yeah. She's great. A good fighter." Ed remarked casually and went back to his toast, effectively ending the conversation. The Hughes' and Mustang decided to leave it for the moment. Elysia hadn't really been paying attention to the conversation until the subject of Koda had popped up. She asked Ed dozens of questions that he provided answers for until she was satisfied and extremely excited to meet Koda. Gracia explained that they didn't know many people with Animals larger than Nala or Ayala and Elysia hadn't met any of them. They finished up their breakfast relatively quickly, any extra pieces of toast going to the Animals who wanted them. Gracia shooed them away from the kitchen and they did as they were told, knowing arguing was a waste of breath.

They ended up in the lounge room and Elysia demanded stories of Koda to pass the time until she got to meet her and Ed was happy to oblige. Mustang and Hughes listened intently, both eager to learn anything about the blonde's past, though Mustang would claim he was just listening to pass the time. Both men didn't know much about the Elrics past before the night they committed the taboo and Elysia was really the only person who could ask and get a proper story instead of a limited response. Gracia joined them after finishing in the kitchen and time seemed to fly by as Ed and Ayala recounted story after story during the time they spent training under Izumi. They didn't even realise how much time had passed away until they were interrupted by someone knocking on the door. Climbing to his feet, Ed followed the rest of the adults and Elysia to the front door to greet their guests and he forced himself to relax as Maes opened the door with a beaming smile. As expected, Teacher, Al, Sig, Koda, Suna and Chester were all gathered on the other side. As Ed locked eyes with his teacher, he knew he was in some deep trouble.

 **A/N- And here is chapter 22! I'm so sorry this one took so long to publish but I got stuck writing the promised final chapter to my Voltron fic and this got put on the back burner momentarily until that was published but now that it has, Spirit Animals is getting my undivided attention once again! Also, I apologise if the ending seems a bit rushed but I really wanted to publish this tonight. I'm hoping to get things really moving in the next couple of chapters so we can get to the big scenes. Just a heads up but a lot of things from the anime will be cut from my story, just so you guys know. I won't say anymore than that so the story won't be ruined. As always, thank you to everyone who has posted a review. Those lovely comments, whether praise or suggestions, make my day so much better so please leave me some feedback on what you guys think!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23-**

Ed would never be certain whether Maes always greeted his first-time guests immediately and with a lot of enthusiasm or if he'd noticed the 'you're dead' look Teacher was giving him but he'd always be grateful for his quick greeting.

"Alphonse! Chester! Good to see you two again!" Maes grinned at the two of them but didn't give them a chance to return the greeting as he focused on the strangers. "Hello! You must be Izumi and Sig! Ed and Al have told us lots about you! It's a real pleasure to finally meet you in person. This is my stunning wife, Gracia, and my adorable daughter, Elysia." He said, gesturing with a casual wave to both his girls. "I'm Maes Hughes. I do believe Koda is a little too big to fit through our front door but if you'd like to follow me, I'll show you our side gate and we can have lunch in the backyard." Maes didn't really give them much of a choice as he stepped through his front door, forcing them to take a step back. Teacher and Sig both looked a little shell-shocked. Obviously, Al hadn't warned them about how over-the-top Hughes could be. Gracia shut the door behind him as he started leading them to the side gate. Ed and Ayala let out a simultaneous sigh of relief.

"We best go get lunch ready." Gracia said, giving his flesh arm a squeeze as she walked past. Elysia looked a little confused about Ed's reaction but she was too excited about the new guests to worry about it for long. Mustang didn't really get a chance to question or comment because Ed immediately followed Elysia to the kitchen to help her mum. Lilith had already gone into hiding, choosing the lounge room as it was closest to the back door. Ayala and Nala followed Ed and Mustang really had no choice but to do the same. It was that or go out and meet Ed's teacher without Ed there to be a distraction.

Gracia decided to just keep it simple and, with Ed's help with who ate what, made sandwiches for everyone. Ed and Elysia helped her with the actual construction of the sandwiches while Mustang found himself yet again tasked with getting drinks. They could hear talking outside and Ed could only hope Hughes hadn't had enough time to find his many photos and annoy Teacher with them. He'd be the one she'd vent her annoyance on, after all. Once lunch was finally made (Ed was beyond sick of making sandwiches by this point) the three of them carted them out on platters while Mustang took the drinks out and Ayala and Nala were coincidentally in front of Ed in the perfect position should anyone try and attack him. They made it outside to find everyone seated at the large outdoor table, chatting amicably amongst each other. There were no signs of any photos and Ed was pleased to see that Teacher was as relaxed as she ever was around friendly strangers. Koda struck almost as imposing a figure as Sig did, sitting behind Izumi while Sig sat next to her and Suna was happily exploring the yard. Al and Chester were obviously waiting Ed to show up because as soon as he did, they were up and heading for him.

"Brother! You're still in one piece!" Ed was kinda offended that Al actually sounded surprised but he let it slide because he was so fucking happy to have his little brother back next to him.

"I'm glad to see you are too!" Ed exclaimed once Al was standing next to him and, once he balanced the sandwich platter on his automail hand, knocked his flesh hand gently against Al's armour. Al returned the gesture by gently bumping his fist against Ed's shoulder once the platter was safely back in both hands, making his brother sway a little on his feet. "Between that homunculi and Teacher, I was almost afraid how you'd look when you got back." Ed added in a low enough voice that Teacher wouldn't be able to hear.

"Oh, yeah, speaking of that..." Al nervously started saying and Ed shot him 'go on' look, forcing him to cough up whatever he was trying to say. "Teacher says she's no longer our teacher. We've been expelled as her students because of what we did." Ed's immediate reaction was disbelief before it turned into a mixture of sadness, humiliation at disappointing her enough to make her expel them and shame at being expelled.

"Wait," he said as something occurred to him, "if we've been expelled, why is Teacher here?" Hope started unfurling in his gut. Maybe he wouldn't be beaten into a bloody pulp today.

"She's here to talk to you. Since we aren't her students, we're now her equals. That's what Sig told me when I went to leave after she told me we were expelled." Al told him and Ed nodded his understanding.

"Hey, Ed? Are you gonna bring those sandwiches over here or just stand there chatting all day?" Hughes called out teasingly and Ed shot him a flat stare but headed over to the table anyway. Al and Chester followed him happily and they both gave their Animals a couple of sandwiches before Ed dug into his own pile of sandwiches. Gracia and Maes were the ones doing most of the talking, spending the time talking with Teacher and Sig. Ed and Al were talking quietly amongst themselves about small things that had happened while Elysia was busy talking to Koda and Suna. Mustang was keeping to himself for the most part, content with just listening and gaining information about the newest arrivals, but found himself drawn into the conversation between the grown ups every so often. So far, everyone was getting along great and Ed wasn't bleeding yet so he counted it as a good day so far.

"So," Teacher said once the last sandwich had been eaten, "you're the man who decided to offer an injured 11-year-old a job as a military dog. Just when I thought the military couldn't sink any lower. Are you people that desperate for more human weapons that you'd resort to enlisting children?" She faced Mustang and Ed had the urge to both facepalm and see if it was possible to make the ground open up and swallow him whole. The stunned-mullet expression on Mustang's face told everyone that that was one question he hadn't expected to be asked. Even Nala was stunned.

"Uh..." Ed was kind of surprised that the smooth, unshakable persona Mustang usually put forth was obviously failing him. The awkward tension was so evident, Elysia was able to pick up on it and stopped playing with Koda and Suna in favour of watching the others.

"He was looking for our useless excuse of a father." Ed surprised even himself by speaking up. Teacher's attention turned to him immediately, eyes narrowed in a way that let him know he was one word away from getting in trouble for inserting himself in this conversation. "The military knew about our father and they'd heard rumours about a powerful alchemist in Resembool and assumed he'd returned. He and Hawkeye found us a few days after what we'd done." He flicked a glance at Elysia and saw she was listening to him talk and knew he'd have to word things carefully from that point on. "He saw what we'd done in the house, even after Granny said she'd cleaned up, and tracked us to her house to confront us. He offered me a job but that's all he did." Ed refused to break eye contact with his teacher. He needed her to realise this was his choice. As much as he didn't like Mustang, he wasn't one to let others take blame for his decisions. Al was the only person who didn't look stunned at him coming to Mustang's defense. Even Teacher and Sig weren't surprised. Al had mentioned Ed didn't like his CO but the three of them knew the boy the best. So if Ed said if it was his decision than it was his decision.

"So it your idiotic decision to let someone put a leash on you?" Teacher said as she turned to focus her attention on Ed and Ed saw Mustang almost sag with relief the attention was off him.

"Yes." He said simply before saying something else no one, except Ayala and maybe Al, expected. "It was the best worst decision I've ever made and I'd make it again." That made Teacher quirk her brow in surprise.

"Really? Tell me, what good has come out of you signing your life over to the military?" Teacher spat and Ed realised in that moment that she was a lot more angry about his joining the military than him committing the taboo.

"For one thing, we wouldn't be able to prepare for this ongoing threat because we would never have uncovered it." Ed pointed out and even Mustang had to admit he had a point there. "For another thing, the access we get because of my title is ridiculous. The things we've found out from books we'd never have been able to read otherwise is almost worth it. And we'd have been screwed trying to reach our goal without the paycheck and perks that come with a State Alchemist title."

"And you wouldn't have met us!" Elysia exclaimed, startling just about everybody as she jumped up and stood in front of Ed, grinning up at him so brightly that he couldn't help but smile back at her.

"That's true. Best reason to become a State Alchemist is so we have you as our little sister." He ruffled her hair fondly and Hughes awww'd before grabbing his camera. Elysia scrabbled up into his lap before looking up at him.

"And mummy and daddy?" She asked sweetly and Ed nodded.

"And knowing your mum. I guess your dad's not that bad either." He winked at her and she giggled at her father's indignant protest. Something in Teacher's face softened watching their exchange but Ed didn't notice straight away. "It may not be ideal, Teacher, but my becoming a State Alchemist was the only choice I had to make up for what I did to Al. And to Chester."

"Brother." Al said softly but Ed silenced him with a wave. He wasn't willing to go into that discussion again, especially not in front of Elysia.

"The military still shouldn't have accepted a 12-year-old into the State Alchemist program! He should have told you to consider joining when you were of age!" Teacher exclaimed, jabbing a thumb over her shoulder in Mustang's direction. Ed shook his head.

"It wouldn't have mattered if he did. The military would've sent someone else to try and coax me into joining! There's no way the Fuhrer would've been okay with me and Al running around without a leash on one of us! And believe me when I say this because I'll only ever admit this once; there could be worse bosses." Ed said and multiple jaws figuratively hit the floor. Teacher looked at him as though trying to gauge how truthful he was being. Sig's eyes glittered with amusement. He was the one who listened to Al's stories from the military when Izumi had been bedridden. Ed glared at Mustang. "Don't get the wrong idea; you're still an arsehole but you're not Archer, at least." He grudgingly admitted.

"I'm flattered, Fullmetal. I do believe that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me." Mustang drawled and Ed flushed a little.

"Shut it, bastard, or I'll tell Miss Riza where you hid that paperwork you unpacked when I was asleep and she had her back turned." Ed threatened and Hughes almost died choking down his laughter. Gracia did a much better job stifling her laughter while Mustang shot Nala a betrayed look. The lioness, who was seated near Ed, just smirked before going back to sleep. Something about the exchange seemed to have made Teacher relax a little and Ed couldn't figure out why.

"Speaking of Archer..." Al let that trail off since it didn't really need completing for Ed to know what he was asking. Ed shook his head and looked pointedly at Elysia, who had his automail hand in her lap and was looking at it closely since Ed rarely left his gloves off.

"After dinner. Right now, I gotta finish healing your leopard. Don't think I've forgotten." He told the leopard who simply rolled his eyes and sat himself on Ed's left.

 _"And you call Al the worry-wart. You do realise I can live with these injuries?"_ Chester said as Ed placed his hand on his head.

"Yeah, no. What if when we get attacked next, you get killed because you couldn't dodge in time thanks to your ribs? I'm healing you. Deal with it." He told him and Chester rolled his eyes but didn't argue. Ed did have a point. The blonde shut his eyes and used the energy to do a quick scan before actually healing him. It only took a minute before Ed opened his eyes again, a little tired, but pleased now that the leopard was fully healed.

 _"Thanks, Ed."_ Chester said as he shook himself of the residual effects of the healing process. Teacher's eyes had narrowed in a scrutinizing manner as she watched this process. Sig and their two Animals just watched with interest.

"You're welcome." Ed said as he scratched him behind the ears. Elysia leaned over in his lap to give Chester a pat as well. The leopard couldn't even pretend he wasn't enjoying the attention given to him by the five year old.

"Explain your abilities." Teacher ordered and Ed decided telling her would be a good idea. After all, he couldn't talk about Archer or the country-wide array in front of Elysia.

"Okay. I can communicate and sight-share with any Animal I want. With Chester, I can heal him and we both feel each others pain though it's dulled down immensely. That's pretty much it." Ed summed up somewhat lamely. Teacher didn't look impressed. "What?" That came out a lot whinier than he expected or wanted and, for the second time in the last ten minutes, flushed from embarrassment as he saw Mustang smirk out of the corner of his eye.

"Don't you take that tone with me, you insolent brat!" Teacher didn't yell but Ed still flinched back from her. Elysia looked at him curiously but didn't comment about the movement. There was probably rant or lecture coming his way but Teacher suddenly coughed up blood.

"TEACHER!" Both Edward and Alphonse shouted in alarm as they stood, Ed depositing Elysia on the ground as they both took an instinctual step forward. Sig was immediately by her side as Gracia, Maes and Mustang were all in various states of panic. Izumi waved off their concern before slouching back in her chair, Sig and Koda kneeling next to her.

"Are you alright, dear?" Sig asked as he handed her a clean handkerchief that she accepted.

"Of course I am. Thank you, love." She said, giving him a big, sappy smile that used to gross Ed and Al when they were living with her. Seemingly satisfied, both Elrics sat back down, Ed bending down to the pouting Elysia, who hadn't actually seen Izumi throw up the blood, and apologize and letting her climb back in his lap. Gracia, Maes and Mustang were either looking at them like they couldn't believe what they saw or were looking at Izumi with worry.

"Are you okay, Mrs Curtis? Do you need me to call someone?" Gracia asked, clearly at a loss of what to do. Izumi shook her head.

"There's nothing to worry about. It's just a medical condition I have. Travelling must have aggravated it. I just need some bed rest and I'll be fine. And please call me Izumi." She smiled reassuringly and Gracia offered her a weak one back. Once she was satisfied Izumi was okay, Koda decided it was high-time to give Edward a proper greeting. Sig and Izumi were talking quietly to each other about something while Maes and Roy were obviously discussing what just happened. Gracia was busy watching Izumi with an eagle eye to make sure she was okay. None of the adults seemed to notice Koda moving in on Ed. As she always did (partly because it was good training for Ed but mostly because it was fun) Koda snuck up behind Ed with the intent of scaring the teenager while he was busy listening to his brother and adopted sister talk. Elysia had migrated onto Al's lap so she talk to him better at some stage. Ayala was all too familiar with this and Chester had heard the stories so neither bothered to warn Ed. Koda stood on her hind legs and stretched herself to full size. Ed still hadn't noticed but the others were starting too. Ayala had sent their Animals the message that this was nothing to worry about so they were more than happy to watch someone get one over on Ed. Koda took a deep breath in so she could roar in his ear (her favourite way to startle him) and the group watched with bated breath and half-smirks as they waited for the inevitable.

"Hello, Koda." Ed's voice rang in her head and he smirked as she made an undignified startled noise before stumbling back. Turning in his chair, he caught one look of Koda's face before bursting into laughter at her. Mustang wasn't the only one to mutter about the unfairness of their entertainment being taken away. Izumi and Sig both let out a bark of laughter at Koda;s expense.

 _"That's so unfair!"_ She complained as she swatted his shoulder lightly. _"I even prepared myself for that to happen but it's just so weird!"_ Ed had managed to get his chuckling under control now as he patted her furry arm sympathetically.

"Don't worry. It's still weird for me as well." She looked at him unconvinced and he just shrugged a shoulder in response. She watched him for a moment more before she dragged him all the way out his chair and, quite literally, pulled him into a bear hug.

 _"You're an absolute idiot. Why did you have to do something so stupid?"_ She asked and Ed stiffened slightly before realising she wasn't truly angry at him and relaxing into the hug, returning it after a moment.

"I'm sorry, Koda." He whispered softly and felt her tighten her grip, hair prickling uncomfortably through his clothing. After a moment, she let him go and dropped back to all fours and did a slow walk around him that made Ed roll his eyes at her. Once done, she sat back on her haunches before giving him a final visual once-over. He quirked a brow at her in amusement.

 _"You've definitely grown. And you're holding yourself better; more assured of yourself."_ She said observantly. _"It suits you. Al's told us all about your missions and, though she may tell you differently, Izumi and I are both very proud of you. Not overly thrilled about the military leash though."_ Ed let out a chuckle as he shrugged his shoulders in a 'what can you do' manner.

"I know but it's done and I'm not explaining myself anymore." Ed warned and Koda nudged into his side, sending him stumbling slightly.

 _"I know and you know we won't be bringing it up anymore. Except to tease you, of course."_ Koda told him and he rolled his eyes as he rightened himself and shoulder nudged her back before he sat back down and was immediately assaulted by a golden retriever. Letting out an 'oof' as his breath was forced out of him by the dog accidentally hitting him in the gut before he could defend himself.

"Hey, Suna." He used the same trick to get Suna to stop his persistent attempt to lick his face. Suna had always been overly affectionate, especially towards the two of them but that didn't mean Ed liked getting slobbered all over. Ed could hear a couple of them laughing at his predicament and he silently vowed to get back at them. Hearing Ed's voice in his head caused Suna to stop and look at him almost comically. "Would you mind not headbutting me in the gut in the future?" He asked as the pain caused by Suna aggravating his bruises and ribs finally dulled down.

 _"Sorry, Ed. I was just so excited. Sig and Izumi wanted to talk to you first before we could actually greet you."_ Suna explained, keeping himself eye-level with Ed by standing with his front paws on Ed's knees. Suna was, hands down, one of the friendliest Animals Ed had ever met. He had always been worried that the retriever was too friendly and would get hurt one day because of it but had been assured by Sig one night while Al was helping Teacher that Suna may act care-free and friendly but it still took a lot of time for him to truly trust someone, a lot like Sig himself.

"So tell me, what's been happening at the shop? Mason up to his usual crap?" Ed asked the excitable blonde dog and was rewarded with all sorts of stories. You could always count on Suna to have the interesting stories. The dog observed so much more than anyone else, except maybe Teacher herself, did and was always more than willing to repeat the stories to anyone. Ed definitely got his fill of blackmail material on Mason for the next time he ran into the apprentice butcher. However, the story time only lasted ten minutes before Teacher and Sig stood up, Sig supporting Teacher a bit.

"Thank you so much for your hospitality and I'm sorry we couldn't stay any longer but I need to get some rest after the travel." Izumi said as everyone else climbed to their feet. Koda and Suna moved so they were next to their humans.

"It's no problems. We understand and it was a pleasure to meet the four of you. Thank you, Koda and Suna, for being so patient with Elysia. She hasn't had the opportunity to meet an Animal bigger than Ayala or Nala and she always loves meeting new Animals." Gracia smiled sweetly as Elysia ducked her head, a little embarrassed at the mention of her name. "If you're feeling up to it, you're welcome to join us for dinner. It would give Maes, Roy and Ed the opportunity to discuss things they didn't get around to today." This was something she and Maes had obviously already decided on offering the Curtis' since the things they really needed to talk about couldn't really be discussed in front of a five year old.

"We would be delighted. I'll let Edward know if I'm feeling well enough to join you. We'll be in Central for a couple of days so I'm sure there will be a time we can manage to meet up." Izumi informed them and Ed was torn between relief that they'd still have the chance to talk to her about everything and concern for his own well-being. Ayala nudged him comfortingly. It soothed him a little.

"I'll walk you out." Maes offered before he stepped around Mustang. "Do you have someway of getting to your hotel or would you like a lift?" He asked as they headed towards the gate. Gracia started clearing plates away and glaring at anyone who was silly enough to try and help.

"Thank you for the offer but our hotel isn't far. The walk will do me some good anyway." Izumi assured him and Koda made a muffled grunt of agreement before they disappeared through the gate and both Ed and Al sagged with relief.

"Thank Truth that's over." Ed sighed and Al enthusiastically nodded his agreement.

"That could've been so much scarier. Do you think we could convince her to not attack us tomorrow though? You know once she gets some rest, she is a lot more violent." Al shuddered at the mere thought.

"You know, maybe she won't attack us at all since we're in someone else's home? She never has before, except for the odd backhand." Ed pointed out and he elected to ignore the amused look on Mustang's face he spotted as the black-haired alchemist watched their conversation. Al seemed to brighten at that thought before sagging again.

"Yeah but that means she'll be even angrier next time we see her." Al reminded him and Ed winced at the mere thought. They were in a lose-lose situation.

 _"What if we offered to show her around town tomorrow? Maybe take her to the smaller park and she can fight us there?"_ Ayala suggested suddenly and Ed perked at that idea before sharing it with Al and Chester.

"That could work. It's less popular so not much risk of hurting anyone if you two go all out. It'll help her get her anger at you out so you don't die next time we run into her. I think that's our best bet." Al rationalised the plan and Ed nodded. Tonight he'd offer to show Teacher and Sig around Central and hopefully won't die. Mustang let out a chuckle.

"I think you two are over-exaggerating your teacher's fear factor." Mustang said in response to the unasked, yet obviously posed, question. Ed gave him a flat look.

"Says the person who froze at the first question she actually directed at you." Ed shot back while Al gave him a nod that said his brother had a point. Mustang scowled at them while Ed grinned at Nala's laughter.

 _"He's got you there."_ She told him and his scowl deepened.

"I'd offer to arrange a showdown between you two but a) I don't the whole city destroyed and b) I don't think your ego, let alone reputation, could handle your defeat." Ed smirked and Mustang shot him an unamused look.

"You really think your teacher would win a fight against me?" He asked disbelievingly.

"I _know_ she'd win a fight against you." Ed said confidently. "You couldn't beat me except _maybe_ in an alchemy-only fight since you're a long range attacker and I'm mid-to-short range, however there's no way you'd beat me hand-to-hand or hand-to-hand and alchemy. Since you couldn't beat me, Teacher would wipe the floor with you. I've only won one fight against her and that was because she didn't expect me to use alchemy via Ayala." Ed informed him in a no-nonsense tone. Mustang still didn't look like he believed but Ed was done with this conversation anyway.

"He's got a couple good points there." Mustang startled slightly having obviously not heard Maes approach them.

"No one asked for your opinion, Hughes." Mustang scowled, feeling somewhat ganged up on.

"And yet you got it." Maes shrugged, aiming a wink at Ed and Al. Ed rolled his eyes but the corners of his lips twitched upwards slightly in amusement.

"Why don't you tell us what happened to you in Dublith, Alphonse?" Mustang asked, deciding a change in subject was necessary. Al looked towards the door Elysia and Gracia had disappeared through only a few minutes prior.

"Gracia will keep Elysia entertained for quite a while." Hughes promised as he reclaimed his seat and let Leo climb up on the one next to him. Ayala sat up next to Ed so she could pay more attention to what Al was about to say.

"Okay. Well, Chester and I were outside, cleaning the alley near Teacher's when Chester started getting antsy." Al said, starting the story off. "We spotted a chimera, this one was part lizard, part human, watching us. We didn't realise why but Chester didn't like it and chased him away. We got back to work but an hour later we were ambushed and I was captured. They separated me and Chester. Martel used her snake-like flexibility to keep me from moving while Greed, that's the homunculous, questioned me. He wanted to know how I became like this so that he could become like me. He thinks this is the key to immortality." Ed felt himself grow angry.

"I can't wait until I run into him. I'll beat that dickwad senseless." He growled out and Ayala agreed with him. In no way is being a soul-bonded suit of armour better than being flesh and blood and it really pissed him off that there was someone out there who thought so.

"What makes you think you'll even run into him?" Mustang asked incredulously. Ed looked at him like he was an idiot though that wasn't really anything new.

"Because Al would've told him he didn't know how to bind souls to armour and it doesn't take a genius to figure out that it would've been me who performed the array." Ed pointed out as though it was obvious and, in retrospect, it was.

"Brother's right. I told Greed I didn't know how the alchemy was performed, hoping that would make him leave me alone but he started questioning me about who performed the array and where he could find them. Chester found me at that moment and attacked Greed and the two other chimera who were in the room. I think that's when you felt him get hurt, Ed." Al said and Chester nodded his head.

"So that's when I found out you'd been captured and wrapped up my fight with Archer." Ed said, piecing the timeline together and Chester once again nodded.

"Before you linked your vision with him, Greed was trying to convince Chester to move so that he could keep talking to me. He had the two chimera try and physically move Chester when he refused to budge but they retreated when he almost severed their hands from their arms." Al said proudly and Chester puffed out his chest. "When they retreated, Greed seemed to look completely intrigued by something Chester was doing. I guess that's when you two linked your vision and he could see the tell-tale blue rings around Chester's eyes." Al was talking directly to Ed right now.

"Probably. Once we connected our vision, I helped Chester figure out a way to get that chimera out of you so you could join the fight and even the odds. I stayed linked until Teacher and Koda showed up and you got Chester out of there after he got injured." Ed told him and Al nodded.

"Yeah, I figured you would've disconnected soon after we got out. Chester's eyes were pretty much closed but I could see the blue disappear once you stopped the sight-share. We got back into the alley when Chester said you were about to heal him. Teacher came out just as the green glow disappeared and Chester woke back up to tell me you'd lost consciousness but that Ayala said you were alright. She didn't even ask anything, just told me to get my butt and Animal back home so she and Sig could pack and we could leave on the next train for Central." Al finished up his version of events. "We did ask what had happened with Greed but all she said was they fought and he got away once she figured out a way through his 'ultimate shield'. We were about to board the train when you contacted Chester to tell him you were alright. After that, it was just a boring train ride and we made it to Central without any issues." He had now finished the entire explanation. His audience was quiet for a few minutes as they processed what they'd just been told. Much of it, Ed had already known but there was some information in there that got his attention.

"I'm assuming that from the way you said it, you don't know what that ultimate shield was?" Ed asked and Al nodded.

"I was a bit more worried about you than what Teacher had said so I didn't bother asking." Ed rolled his eyes at that. Of course his brother was too busy worrying about him. "We can ask when she comes over tonight." Al pointed out quickly to stop Ed's oncoming 'I was totally fine' rant before it could start. Ed knew that Teacher would be feeling well enough to join them for dinner. Even if she wasn't feeling 100%, she and Sig would still come over. Teacher wanted to know what they'd found out and she wouldn't let something like her health stop her.

"Well, we have a few hours before we have to worry about that." Ed said as he stood up. "How about we spar? We haven't done that for ages." Al jumped at the opportunity.

"Team spar or one-on-one?" Al asked and Ed looked around with a critical eye at the backyard.

"One-on-one. I don't think the yard is big enough for the four of us fighting at the same time." Ed decided and both Ayala and Chester lay back down to sulk. "Sorry, guys. We'll head to the gym area at base once Teacher leaves and have a proper sparring session there, okay?" Neither Animal was impressed but they eventually agreed. The backyard really wouldn't survive the four of them and both boys only knew so much plant alchemy to help fix ther garden if it came to that. Hughes watched as they both left the deck area and wondered if maybe he should start mourning his backyard yet as they proceeded to face each other, assuming their fighting stances and mentally recalled where his first aid gear was. Mustang was leaning forward on the table, ready to assess his subordinates skill. But they relaxed out of their stances as Ed seemed to say something. They were talking too low for either adult to overhear but Ayala and Chester both perked up. Al nodded and Ed called out for their two Animals to get their butts over there. The leopard and wolf didn't need to be asked twice.

"Okay, so Al and I had this idea and I can't believe we haven't thought of doing this for so long." Ed said as soon as they joined him. "We should sight-share and you two will direct our movements." It was something that Teacher had taught Ed while he and Ayala had their seperate lessons. It helped the bonded pair develop more trust in each other. They'd done it once or twice when they were in Resembool once Al got Chester but before _that_ night.

 _"Oh, that's a good idea. Let's do it!"_ Ayala agreed immediately and Chester gave a nod as well. Ed shooed them back to the sidelines and he and Al resumed their fighting stance before he gave them the okay to go ahead. _"Edward, sight!"_ Ayala called and Ed accepted it. His vision didn't change from looking at Al but he could feel the link had been successful.

"Call it when you're ready, Chester." Ed called out. They'd agreed having Chester start the fight was the best option. He could talk to both humans simultaneously after all.

 _"On three."_ Chester called and Ed and Al both tensed in preparation. _"1, 2, 3!"_ He'd barely called 'three' when Ed and Al leapt at each other and he and Ayala were busy calling out instructions for their humans to follow.

 _"Go left! Duck down! Now get in close and kick his legs out with your automail."_ Ayala called out and Ed obeyed her instructions, dodging Al's fists and a roundhouse kick before sweeping his leg out to unbalance Al. Unfortunately, Chester must've called out for him to jump because the move failed and Ayala was forced to instruct Ed to roll out of the way. Ed rolled forward, through Al's legs and came up standing before Ayala had him try and force Al to the ground by kicking the back of his knees. Chester had Al spin out of the way and Ed was forced to backflip to avoid the punch Al threw his way. Ed and Ayala grinned simultaneously. This was getting good.

Nearly an hour later, Chester decided it was time for them to call it quits and both Animals cut off the sight-share. Ed had to blink a couple of times. Even though he wasn't the one looking through someone else's eyes, he still had to adjust to no one looking through his eyes again. He was panting slightly and had a new collection of minor bruises and cuts on his body but it was a good spar. He grinned up at Al and knocked a fist gently agaist his breastplate while Al clamped a hand down on his shoulder and gently squeezed before they headed back for the deck where the two men still sat.

"That was a good spar. You and Chester did really well compared to last time we fought like that. Glad to see that happen." Ed praised as he flopped back onto his seat, stretching slightly to ruffle Chester's ears. "You two have definitely improved your communication." Chester grinned smugly at the praise.

"Thanks, brother." Al said as he carefully sat down. "You and Ayala had us beat though. Your teamwork was amazing! You were completely in sync!" Al praised them and Ed and Ayala shared a grin.

"Yes, I'm surprised to see you can actually follow someone's orders without blowing something up." Mustang quipped immediately and Hughes threw him a 'please don't' expression.

"I always listen to orders. I only follow them if they aren't stupid." Ed snapped back and Hughes intervened before something caught fire and someone got hurt.

"Okay! How about you go for a shower, Ed? You're covered in grass." Hughes pointed and Ed had to conceded his black outfit had quite a bit of green on it. "We'll go inside and see what my beautiful girls are up to. Al, you haven't seen the new photos yet!" Hughes realised and Ed grinned as he clapped his brother on the shoulder as a show of pity before he escaped into the living room so he could get in the shower, passing Elysia on his way and promising to be back real soon to play with her. Using alchemy, he cleaned off his clothes so he could wear them again and climbed into the shower to get all of the dirt and grass out of his hair.

He headed back to the living room and found Ayala curled up with Elysia, listening to the little girl read. He settled down next to them and Elysia grinned happily before starting the book over again for Ed. A quick listen confirmed that his brother and the two men were still outside and that Gracia was in the laundry. He turned his attention back to Elysia and listened carefully, interrupting only to correct her pronunciation of some words. He only had to correct her a couple of times and Ed silently remarked to Ayala how impressed he was with her level of reading. He knew she was smart, neither of her parents were idiots after all, but he still found himself amazed sometimes by how quickly she caught on to things. Ayala agreed with him.

At some point, Mustang manged to find relative safety in the living room, leaving Al to fend for himself against Hughes' photos. Ed barely spared him a glance as Elysia continued her story-telling. Ed hadn't actually realised how much time had passed before he was startled out of his stupor by Koda's voice in his head, warning him they'd be joining them for dinner. Sighing, he sent back a reply with a time and warned Gracia. Smiling bemusedly at his demeanour, Gracia assured him she'd have dinner ready for the lot of them in time and Ed thanked her before offering her his help. She told him, in slightly more polite terms, to bugger off. Ed retreated back to the living room, bypassed Elysia and went outside to rescue his brother from the never-ending pile of photos Hughes seemed to have produced from god-knew-where.

They were in the middle of discussing the finer points of Al's kidnap; any alchemy the boy or leopard had noticed, things Greed or the chimera had said, etc, when a knock sounded at the front door and Koda made her way around through the side as soon as Gracia greeted their guests. Koda joined in on the boys conversation, offering any bits she'd noticed when she and Teacher had fought the homunculous themselves. There wasn't much they could talk about or theorise more on. Elysia finally came out to hurry them along and they headed in for the dining room, Koda following carefully behind so she join them. They made it to the table with no incidents and Koda happily seated herself next to her human, who offered her a quick scratch before turning to the food in front of her. Suna and Sig were sitting next to Izumi and next to Maes while Mustang was stuck on Izumi's other side. Ed almost felt bad about his boss's predicament before he realised he didn't. Nala had decided to stick by her human for the night, carefully monitoring Izumi just in case she initiated some sort of attack.

"This looks absolutely amazing, Gracia." Izumi complimented as they helped themselves, Ed helping Elysia when she needed it, to the small feast spread out in front of them. Gracia had pulled out all the stops and made roast pork for dinner, complete with roasted vegetables and garlic fried asparagus.

"I hope you enjoy it. It's so rare we have enough guests and I get enough warning to do a roast. Hopefully, Roy's transfer to Central means his team comes around more often and I get more chances to do these sorts of dinners." She said almost wistfully, bending over slightly to give Lilith some food. Ed almost cried when he took his first bite and he nodded slightly to Al who whipped out his journal and wrote 'Gracia's roast pork' on the page. Ed's eyes fell on the spotless dinner setting that Gracia had laid out for his little brother and he felt a small pang of gratitude for the woman. She always set a place for Al even though Al had insisted she needn't worry about it. Al had eventually stopped arguing about it and accepted the woman's silent way of reminding him he was still part of their family.

Dinner was about as lively as lunch. Izumi and Gracia were the main talkers while everyone else pitched in when, and if, they found an opening. Ed was happily talking to Nala, Ayala, Suna and Koda about the team and whatever else had been happening to them since they last saw the blonde alchemist. Koda and Suna soon found themselves wanting to meet the rest of the team, especially Hawkeye once Ed had compared her to Teacher. Ed had a slightly bad feeling he knew what Koda and Suna would ask to see on their grand tour of Central which, Koda was quick to give him the head's up about, Teacher and Sig wanted Ed and Al to show them around. Soon, everyone had cleared off their plates and the last of the food had disappeared from the centre of the table.

"Thank you for the wonderful meal." Sig's deep voice sounded, slightly startling some of those gathered at the table. He hadn't spoken an awful lot since they'd arrived and the Hughes' and Mustang weren't used to it. Suna yapped his thanks and a murmur traveled it's way around the table as each human and their Animal repeated the praise.

"You're very welcome. If you'd like to follow Maes through, he'll show you to where you can sit. I'll be in shortly with refreshments." Gracia basically dismissed them and they had no choice. Elysia stayed back to help her mother, a fact that Maes could not stop coo-ing over, even though he'd seen her do it a million times, according to Mustang's impatient growl. He ended up grabbing his best friend by the upper arm and physically pulling him away from the adorable sight. Izumi looked torn between amused, annoyed and envious. As soon as his girls were out of his sight, Maes turned more serious and pulled the map and pins out from where he'd hidden them.

"Okay, while my beautiful munchkin is distracted with her mother, we can talk about what I found then we move onto whatever you want to discuss." He said in a hushed whisper as he spread the map out and placed the pins in their places. It took Izumi and Al exactly two seconds to realise what the pins were showing and both let out some impressive expletives, though they did keep their voices down enough that Elysia couldn't overhear them.

"That's a transmutation circle, right, brother?" Al asked sounding like he was hoping Ed would tell him he was wrong but knowing he was right.

"Yeah. It's not complete though. We think they're going to try and bleed Fort Briggs to complete it." Ed said, pointing it out on the map. "That's why, as soon as I've been fitted with cold-weather automail, you and I are heading north." He said to Al. "Winry has already started work on my new set. She'll hopefully have them ready by the end of the week. Michella said she'll let me know the day before they're done so we can head for Rush Valley straight away."

"That's nice of her." Al commented and Ed snorted.

"She's already promised it won't be for my bank account." Al laughed and Ed scowled at his little brother but there was no heat behind it.

"How are they drawing the circle? You can't tell me there's no way _someone_ hasn't mentioned seeing someone carving a massive circle through towns." Izumi snapped, causing Ed and Al to jump and pay attention again. Both Elric's knew that tone of voice. This was a test.

"Underground. Someone or a team of people must be digging the circle underground where no one could see them." Ed said after a few moments of mulling over the question with Al via Chester. The slight dip of Izumi's chin and small twitch of her lips let him know he'd said what she'd be thinking. He felt a small surge of pride at that and, judging from the way Al shifted, he felt it too.

"At least becoming a military dog hasn't turned you completely stupid." Ed barely bit back his sigh, knowing the backhand he'd get wouldn't be worth it.

"What if it's just one someone?" Al piped up and five sets of eyes swung his way. He shifted self-consciously before continuing. "I was just thinking... we've gone up against three homunculi now and all of them were extremely different except for the immediate healing and near-immortality. What's to say there isn't one who's capable of digging a series of tunnels under Amestris?"

"I wouldn't be surprised." Izumi said as Ed rapped his knuckles against Al's chest-plate, giving him a quick grin. "So you two idiots are going to Fort Briggs? What do you plan on doing there?"

"We're gonna talk to the Major-General. She's Armstrong's oldest sister, by the way, Al." Ed added before continuing. "If we all agree she's on our side, we're gonna tell her the truth and we'll hopefully be able to at least help her prepare Fort Briggs for an attack." Ed finished up. He realised it wasn't much of a plan but why start planning shit out completely now? Going in with a half-arsed idea was how he normally tackled things and so far, his track record was pretty good.

"Knowing our luck, we'll arrive just as it all starts going down anyway." Al sighed and Ed had to give him that.

 _"Maybe our luck will holdout this time."_ Ayala said wistfully and Ed snorted in amusement. _"Yeah. You're probably right."_ She conceded. Elysia and Gracia chose that moment to appear with the promised refreshments.

"What are you guys talkin' 'bout?" Elysia asked, heading for the map but Maes swiftly packed it away before she could get there.

"Just boring adult stuff, honey." Maes told her before distracting her with a slice of cake Gracia handed him to give to her. They chattered about many different things, Elysia being left in charge of making conversation as only an inquisitive five year old could. When she started yawning more often than not, Gracia and Hughes coaxed her into saying goodnight and heading for bed, leaving everyone free to move onto the next topic they wanted to talk about without a small child present; Ed and Archer's fight.

Ed gave them a thorough recap, knowing Teacher would not accept any details missing and not wanting to keep talking about it more than necessary. He already had to repeat this story more times than he wanted to in the last 24 hours. After he finished, Izumi ended up asking Mustang more questions than Ed. She berated Ed for falling into the trap in the first place but she didn't enforce that point with a beating so he considered it a win. Al fussed over Ed, wanting to make sure his brother really wasn't as injured as he claimed. Ed could see why Al wouldn't take his word for it completely but that didn't mean he had to like it. In the end, he pointed out how well he did in their sparring session and Al had to concede to his point.

Maes and Gracia came back down to their living room and Ed and Al helped Gracia clean up the dishes and cups before retreating from the kitchen so she didn't attack them for trying to wash up. She thanked them both as they fled and Ed could hear the smirk in her voice. Sig and Maes were in a deep conversation, surprisingly enough, about Sig and Izumi's butcher shop. Ed had no clue that Hughes was interested in the workings of a butcher shop but he was almost avidly hanging onto every word that came out of Sig's mouth. Teacher and Mustang were kinda acting standoffish to each other. Once the boys' reentered the room though, the tension between the two became almost guilty, like they'd been caught stealing a cookie. Ed was very curious about what had happened.

"I've got a couple of suggestions for when you get to Briggs." Mustang said, voice not quite as authoritative as it usually was. Ed, for once, didn't call him out on it.

 _"Does he really think you're going to follow any suggestions he comes up with?"_ Ayala asked and Ed didn't quite stop his laughter in time.

"Something funny, Fullmetal?" Mustang asked, voice a little terse. Izumi pursed her lips slightly at the use of his military title but she didn't say anything.

"Nah, Ayala just thinks it's funny that you think we'd actually listen to you." He told him.

 _"Ed's got a point. He's rarely listened to you before."_ Nala pointed out, talking to both Ed and Mustang.

"Yeah, because my plans always work out better than anything he comes up with." Ed said and Mustang snorted derisively. "What?" Ed snapped, feeling his skin prickle with the familiar anger he always felt whenever he spoke with Mustang and he did something to annoy him.

"Need I remind you that the last time you decided to go against orders, you and Chester had a building come down on you and were hospitalised for over two weeks." Mustang pointed out and Ed scowled.

"Yeah but I didn't go against your orders that time. Any time I do things my way instead of following your orders, it turned out better." Ed pointed out defensively.

"You and Chester caused a building to collapse while you were still in it?" Izumi demanded and Ed winced slightly.

"Yeah. That's how we found out about the homunculi and everything. Didn't Al tell you?" Ed asked, shamelessly hoping to redirect the heat off of himself.

"He told us you fought some homunculi but he didn't tell us you caused a building to collapse while you were still in it." Teacher told him, somehow managing to glare at both of them at the same time.

"Well, that technically wasn't my fault. The homunculi I killed triggered some explosives while we were still inside. I got me and Ches under some cover before it came down on us completely though." Ed was never going to admit that he was the one who activated the trigger and especially not to his teacher. He may as well shoot himself in the foot.

"Are you okay?" Sig was the one who asked and Ed nodded, giving him his most convincing smile.

"Almost completely healed up." He said, sighing when no one looked completely convinced.

"That wound on your left shoulder? Your doctor was worried about it and you've been in two more fights since your release." Mustang pointed out and Ed rolled his shoulder subconsciously.

"It's fine. I've got full range of movement. It's practically healed anyway." Ed said, annoyed slightly that Mustang brought it up. Part of him felt a little touched that he'd even remembered that injury. He dismissed that feeling quickly, telling himself to stop being ridiculous.

"Maybe we should listen to what Colonel Mustang has to say about Fort Briggs? He might have some good ideas." Al piped up, putting the conversation back on its original track.

"Fine. Let's listen to Colonel Bastard." Ed said, throwing his arms up theatrically as he flopped onto his couch, disrupting Ayala and Nala slightly before they curled up around him. Ed's nickname for Mustang got Izumi to smirk a little before her normal expression was back. Mustang didn't comment, long since resigned to the fact that Ed probably wouldn't call him anything else.

"I was going to suggest that you should talk to Major Armstrong before you leave. See what he has to say about his sister, whether he thinks you should tell her about everything. Although I'm fairly certain the Ice Queen is loyal to the military, I doubt she would willingly serve this military. Plus, she would never endanger her men at Fort Briggs. Everyone at that fort is closer knit than most families and she would not put them in unnecessary danger. Major Armstrong may have some suggestions about how to deal with her." Mustang told them and Ed was almost tempted to admit that he had a good point. Nala and Ayala huffed with amusement and Ed mentally scowled at them, causing them to chuckle even more.

"That's a good idea. What do you think, brother?" Al asked innocently but Ed knew what he was up to. Sneaky little bugger.

"Ugh, fine! We'll go talk to Armstrong before we head to Rush Valley." Ed gave in to his brother's silent begging. If Izumi wasn't paying attention, Ed would've flipped Mustang off for that irritating smirk he could see out of the corner of his eye.

"I don't think there's anything else we wanted to talk about tonight so we'll be heading back to our hotel. You're showing us around tomorrow, Edward?" Izumi always managed to make a question sound like an order.

"Yeah. Did you want to meet us here or at your hotel?" Ed asked, sitting up so he wouldn't get in trouble.

"You can meet us at our hotel. We'll meet for breakfast." Teacher said decidedly and Ed and Al both nodded their agreement to the plan. Not that they really would've argued against it.

"Thank you for the wonderful dinner. I hope we get the chance to see you before we leave for home." Izumi said, smiling as she faced Gracia and Maes. She flicked her eyes over to Mustang and he face turned slightly less pleasant. "I doubt we will run into each other again. It was nice meeting you. I hope we don't have to continue our discussion from before."

"It was a pleasure to finally meet you as well. I'm sure we won't have too." Mustang said in the same tone of voice he used when talking to someone he was scared of but didn't want to show it. Ed really wanted to know what they talked about now. Koda and Suna both came up to the Elric boys to say their goodbyes, which resulted in a tongue bath from Suna and a surprisingly gentle hug from Koda for the both of them though Al was less affected by the tongue bath than Ed. Sig clapped a massive, meaty hand down on Ed's automail shoulder before doing the same to Al and heading outside to join his wife and their Animals so they could leave via the side gate. Teacher called out a reminder to meet for breakfast, like she really expected them to have forgotten since they discussed it five minutes ago.

"Do they still have breakfast at the same time as they did when we were training?" Ed asked as soon as the Curtis' were gone.

"Yup. So we need to meet them by 7am." Al confirmed and Ed nodded.

"Great. I hope you know where they're staying 'cuz I didn't ask." Ed mentioned offhandedly. Ayala and Chester managed to roll their eyes simultaneously and Ed poked his tongue out at them, ignoring the fact that Hughes, Gracia and Mustang were still in the room.

"Yeah, they pointed it out to me when we went past it." Al told him and Ed gave a small sigh of relief. He could've asked Koda but that would mean a possible earful from Teacher in the morning about being unprepared so it was excellent his brother already knew.

"Thank fuck for that." Ed said, collapsing back on his couch as Gracia cleared her throat pointedly. "Sorry, Miss Gracia." He said, smiling at her sheepishly. She gave him a warning look before her usual smile graced her features once again. She didn't appreciate him treating her furniture so roughly and he'd been trying really hard to be a bit nicer. Automail was a bit rough if you weren't careful, after all.

It wasn't long after Mustang had returned after his shower that everyone decided to call it a night. Hughes pouted when Gracia announced they should go to bed until she pointed out how late it was and that he and Mustang had to go back to work the next day. Judging by Mustang's face, he'd forgotten about that little fact. Ed was kinda upset Gracia had reminded him, however unintentional it may have been. Though Nala probably wouldn't have let Mustang forget he had to be at work in the morning. At least not on his first day at the new office. The sleeping arrangements had Maes and Gracia in a momentary panic before Al reminded them he didn't sleep and was more than happy to sit next to Ed and read all night. Gracia wasn't overly happy with the fact he'd be awake all night while everyone else slept, unintentionally making Ed feel guilty again, but Al swore up and down he'd be okay. She finally relented when Ed chimed in with his own reassurances and both the Hughes' left them alone to get some sleep.

Ed, Ayala and Chester all arranged themselves comfortably on the couch. Ed ended up using Chester as a pillow so he could still be close to Al while Ayala wedged herself between Ed and the back of the couch so she could rest her head on his side. Mustang clambered into his own 'bed' and Nala leapt up so she could curl up in almost the same position as Ayala. Ed and Al were muttering away to each in voices high enough he could hear them but low enough he couldn't make out exactly what they were saying. He was about to ask them to keep it down when Al spoke up.

"Um, Colonel Mustang?" He asked a little nervously and he could see Ed glaring at him from across the room.

"Yes, Alphonse?" He asked, focusing his attention on the Elric who was actually speaking to him.

"Is it okay if I leave this lamp on so I can read or will it bother you too much?" He asked, fidgeting a little. Mustang now understood the hostility in the older Elric's stare.

"It's no worries, Alphonse." Mustang told him sincerely and Ed's glare softened a little bit.

"Thank you, sir." That gained an eye roll from his brother. "Good night, Colonel." At least one of them had good manners.

"Good night, boys." Mustang said and turned over so he could get some sleep. He heard some more muttering and a stifled yelp before someone sighed (Edward was his guess).

"Night." Ed grumbled and Mustang's brows raised in surprise, not that either Elric could see them. He did not expect a response back and he found himself unreasonably happy he'd gotten one, though he suspected the response had something to do with Al's persuasive technique and the yelp had something to do with that. It wasn't long before he drifted off to sleep despite the light that was still on. Ed followed him shortly after once he made sure Al was okay and didn't need anything.

Like he always was, Ed was awoken the next day by his favourite five-year-old only this time he was woken by her and Al talking to each other next to him in low voices. Ayala and Chester were still asleep, far too used to sleeping in noisy areas to let some quiet chatter wake them up. Ed gathered from a quick glance that Mustang was waking up as well. Nala was already awake and, upon seeing he was as well, jumped down to greet her favourite blonde.

"Morning, brother." Al said, voice as cheerful as always once he realised Ed was up.

"Morning, big brother!" Elysia greeted a lot more enthusiastically than Ed thought was possible for a human at this hour in the morning. A quick glance at his pocket watch told him they had half an hour to get ready to leave so they could meet up with Teacher, Sig and their Animals for breakfast.

"Morning, Elysia, Al." He said, breaking the greeting as he yawned and stretched. "Al, we've got half an hour." He told him and Al nodded as he watched his big brother get up so he could grab a change of clothes.

"Half an hour 'til what?" Elysia asked, looking between the two of them for an answer.

"We've got to leave in half an hour so we can meet up with our teacher and her husband for breakfast this morning. We're gonna show them around town before they have to go home." Al explained as Ed rummaged through his washing for clean stuff.

"So we're not gonna cook breaky this morning, big brother?" Elysia asked, voice wavering slightly and Ed paused in his retreat to the bathroom.

"Sorry, kiddo, but you're gonna have to eat whatever your mum or dad makes you. Don't let your uncle cook, though." He winked at her, making her grin and chasing away the tears that were threatening to form.

"I heard that." Mustang grouched as he sat up and Ed quirked a brow at him.

"So?" He asked before he disappeared to the safety of the bathroom and leaving Al and Elysia to deal with Mustang before he managed to get some coffee in his system. Gracia and Maes were just wondering in when Ed left the bathroom with ten minutes to spare. Deciding they might as well head off, Ed and Al said their goodbyes to the Hughes' and Nala (Mustang had taken over the bathroom) and promised Elysia they'd be back tonight before the four of them left to meet up with Izumi and Sig. Al was leading since he knew where they were going and they were taking their time getting there. Ed and Ayala were certainly happy to stretch their legs after the last few days.

They made it the hotel by quarter to 7 and were unsurprised to see the four of them waiting for them in the lobby. Suna was the first to spot them and loped over to them happily. Koda lumbered behind and was followed by Sig and Izumi. Some people were watching Koda with a nervous eye but they were far too used to that to care. Pleasantries were exchanged before Izumi told them it was up to the two of them to decide where they were eating. Ed decided on a decent-sized cafe that he went to regularly and was only a few minutes away. He left most of the small talk to Al, listening closely though when his brother asked them what they wanted to do while they were here.

They reached the restaurant after a few minutes and were immediately seated as there weren't that many people. It didn't take them long to order food for themselves and their Animal, Al ordering two of what Chester wanted so he could just feed his serve to the leopard and avoid the possibility of the waitress asking why he wasn't eating. Their food arrived shortly after their drinks and they ate in relative silence, saying the odd thing now and than. Once they were done, they paid their bill and Izumi complimented the waitress on a job well done which the young woman thanked her profusely for before they headed for the city centre. Sig needed new butcher knives for his kitchen since they were planning on hiring a new apprentice now that Mason was almost finished his training and Teacher wanted to visit any bookshop she could find. Since she spent a vast amount of her time bedridden, she read a lot and the Dublith bookstore didn't always have a lot to offer. Before they knew it, it was nearly lunchtime and the Elrics' were once again in charge of finding somewhere to eat.

"How do you feel about food trucks?" Ed asked as he thought of a place.

"As long as it's good food and won't give us food poisoning, I don't care if it's served from a food truck." Izumi snapped at him and Ed instinctively moved out of arms reach.

"Okay well there's this one food truck that does amazing nachos. It's next to one of the quieter parks so we can eat there. It's this way." Ed explained, gesturing for them to follow him. It took them nearly fifteen minutes to reach the park and another ten to find the truck but they finally managed to get some food and get a good, shady spot in the park.

"Wow, these are amazing!" Sig exclaimed as he ate them and Izumi was quick to agree, though she was less vocal about it. Ed quickly devoured his and went halves with Chester for Al's share. They people-watched for a little while, just enjoying the pleasant day, after the finished their lunch. All of the Animals took the opportunity to soak up the sun. Ayala and Suna's fur glittered in the sun almost blindingly. Ed had his arms stretched out behind him, eyes closed and face turned up the sun, mimicking the Animals and soaking up some sun for himself. The only warning he got that he was about to be attacked was the sound of a singular clap and Al's gasp. He immediately launched himself into a somersault and rolled away, rolling onto his feet and taking up his fighting stance. Ayala was by his side instantaneously, snarling at the threat that was his teacher. Izumi stood with Koda at her back and a solid staff in her hands.

"Your brother already got his punishment for his part in the idiotic decisions you two morons have made in the time you've been away from me. It's time for yours." Izumi's eyes flashed dangerously and Koda roared behind her. Ed managed to clap and create his automail blade and tell Chester to stand down once he spotted the leopard trying to decide whether he should join the fight before Izumi launched herself at him. He blocked the first attack from the staff with his blade and was pushed back. Now that he'd seen it up close, he realised the staff was made from rock. It wouldn't damage his automail but it wouldn't be easy to stop either. Koda and Ayala were engaged in their own fight and Ed noticed that both he and Ayala were on the defensive. Not a great position to be in but he was used to it when fighting against Teacher and Koda.

Izumi pushed Ed hard. She could tell he'd improved since leaving her tutelage but he wasn't quite at her level yet. Ayala had improved just as much, if not more, and their team fighting had improved the most. She was, all in all, proud of how much he'd grown, they'd both grown. That pride was still drowned out by the horror and anger that they'd gone against her explicit order not to perform human transmutation. Not only that but Edward had gone and joined the military even after all her ranting about them. A sting on her left leg told her Ayala had managed to get through Koda's defenses somehow but she also saw Ed flinch for no apparent reason and knew Koda had gotten the wolf back for it. She'd managed to land a few hits, no doubt causing more bruises, while Ed had only managed one or two.

Even though he knew he still wasn't on the same level as her, Ed didn't think it would still be this hard to win against Teacher. Only a couple of his blows had made it through her defenses and he was proud even though she returned the blows twice as much. Ed felt pain lance through his right shoulder, at least the part that wasn't automail, and knew Ayala had been hit though it didn't feel too bad. He could see Sig, Suna, Al and Chester watching from the sidelines. All of them were watching avidly and Chester still looked like he was wound to spring into action any time. Ed decided maybe a change in tactics was necessary.

"On the count of three, we're gonna switch, okay?" Ed said telepathically as he was forced to flip out of the way of one of Izumi's blows. Ayala agreed, knowing what he was planning. "1, 2, 3!" He called and immediately rolled away from Izumi while Ayala broke away from Koda. Clapping just before he got to his feet and slamming his hands into the ground when he dodged one of Koda's swipes, he created twin staffs. These were shorter than Teacher's one but that's what he needed. He quickly crossed them to catch Koda's paw as it went to slam down on him and pushed it away before launching a series of his own attacks.

The surprise change in opponents worked but only for a few seconds before Izumi and Koda adjusted to who they were fighting. Ed still had his automail blade but after he nearly cut himself with it, he quickly transmuted it back to normal. One of Koda's swipes landed and he thanked his lucky stars it hit his automail leg, shredding his pants but causing no damage to the actual automail. Koda roared with pain and surprise as her claws almost snapped from the impact. Ed used this to his advantage and went on the oppressive.

Ayala and Izumi weren't doing much more than dodging each other's attacks. Neither of them had managed to land a single blow as yet and they were basically circling each other. They kept at it though, knowing one of them would slip up and that was all the other would need to turn this fight to their advantage. Unfortunately for her, Ayala was distracted for a split second by Koda managing to land that blow to Ed's leg and Izumi jumped on that distraction immediately and Ayala found herself on the defensive once again.

The fight was finally decided when Izumi managed to land a blow hard enough to daze Ayala and turn Ed's focus to her, giving Koda the opportunity to knock him flat on his arse. After keeping him pinned until Izumi gave her the okay, Koda eventually let him up and he ruffled her fur before heading for his still-dazed wolf.

"You okay?" He asked, crouching in front of her so he could look at her eyes. They were slightly unfocused for a moment but once they locked onto his, her vision stopped spinning.

 _"I'm good. Gonna have a killer headache though."_ She half-joked and Ed grinned, happy that she was still able to joke.

"If it gets too bad, let me know so I can heal it." He told her before wrapping his arms around her neck in a hug. "That's the longest we've ever lasted against those two with so little injuries. Good job, Aya." She hadn't realised and she felt a huge swell of pride build up in her and she responded to his praise by licking him up the side of the face and laughing as he complained. He straightened up to face the rest of the lecture only to find himself suddenly wrapped in Izumi's arms as she hugged him. To say he was surprised was an understatement. He could count on one hand the amount of times Teacher had hugged him. She didn't say anything but she didn't have too. Ed wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in the crook of her neck. Neither one mentioned the few tears that managed to escape Ed as Koda and Ayala joined in on the hug. Neither one of them let go for as long as they possibly could before they both pulled away and Izumi kindly pretended not see Ed wipe his eyes dry from any remaining tears before they all headed back over to the rest of their family.

 **A/N - Here's chapter 23 for all of you wonderful people who have been amazing enough to read this story! Thank you to every single person who has favourited, followed and/or left a review for this story! I can't express how much each review means to me so if you would be so kind as to review this chapter for me, I would love you forever!**

 **Also, there is FanFiction writer who is absolutely wonderful. Her tag is IcyPanther and she writes a lot of Voltron: Legendary Defenders stories plus she's written one or two FMA stories. Anyway, if you read her stuff and love it and you have a tumblr, please head to her fanfic profile for her tumblr handle and commission some fanfics from her. All proceeds are for a friend of hers that's fallen on hard times financially and Icy is trying to help her out. She's accepting commissions up until Sunday night -6:00 CST.**

 **As always, thank you to everyone who's stuck with this story and I really hope you the latest chapter!**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24-**

The rest of the afternoon was spent with no more physical fights. It was, for the most part, downright relaxing. Ed and Al showed them a few more shops that seemed to get their interest and both Sig and Izumi were able to purchase things they needed or wanted. Koda and Suna even managed to get a few things after some begging and really excellent puppy-dog eyes from the Retriever. By the end of the day, Izumi was noticeably lagging, apparently not as recovered from her relapse yesterday as they thought. Sig was hovering around her, ready to catch her at any moment should she collapse, constantly asking if she was okay. The love and adoration that seemed to exude from their very skin would've made Al blush if he could've and Ed nearly groan in typical teenage disgust at the sappiness displayed in front of him. Ayala and Chester decidedly ignored their humans less than mature reactions.

By the time night fell, Teacher decided they'd had enough shopping for the day and they all headed back to the Curtis' hotel, much to Koda and Sig's relief. The brothers helped them carry all of their shopping up to their room and dump them in the corner. Sig and Izumi were talking the entire way up and had come to the agreement that they'd be catching the afternoon train back to Dublith tomorrow. Sig was antsy to get back to his butcher shop. Apparently they were getting massive amounts of customers and Sig was worried about how Mason was handling running the entire shop with only his Animal to help out. It was handy having a chimp as an Animal for that reason. The boys were ready to head back to the Hughes', they'd be just in time for dinner, but Izumi had a different plan for them. She demanded they have dinner together in the hotel's restaurant and the boys knew better than to argue.

"Can you let Gracia know I won't be home in time for dinner? Teacher wants to have dinner out with us. Hopefully we'll be back before El has to go to bed." Ed asked Lilith sending her a message through their connection. The smaller grey fox immediately answered.

 _"Of course."_ There were a few seconds pause where Lilith passed the message along to her human before she got back to Ed. _"Gracia says to have fun and that she'll see you when you two get home."_ Ed's heart kinda stuttered when she said that word. Home. That was something he hadn't had for a long, long time and Gracia had gone and said that like it was no big deal. Ayala whined in concern at the swirl of emotions flooding through him. This hadn't been a conversation she was looped into so she didn't realise what had been said.

"Brother? You okay?" Al asked sounding slightly worried. Izumi looked impassive to the casual passerby but there were certain tells you could spot if you truly knew her. Sig was frowning, evidently concerned with the look that must have crossed Ed's face and Ed wasn't sure he wanted to know how he'd actually looked to garner these reactions.

"Of course, Al. Completely fine." He smiled lightly, lying through his teeth. "I was just speaking to Lilith so she could let Gracia know we wouldn't be there for dinner. You really don't want Hughes hunting you down because he's worried." He lightly joked. Al shuddered at the memory that was summoned by Ed's words. A worried Hughes was not a fun Hughes. Still, Al wasn't completely buying his big brother's assurances.

"If everyone's finished, let's head for dinner." Izumi ordered and they followed her quickly. Koda bumped shoulders with Ed and gave him a meaningful look. Obviously she hadn't bought what he'd said either.

 _"Are you sure you're okay?"_ Ayala asked, still worried about what he'd been feeling. She really wanted to know what Lilith or Gracia had said to cause that reaction.

"I'm okay. Gracia just said that she'd see us when we got home. Guess I wasn't expecting that." Ed commented casually and silently but Ayala didn't need to be his Animal to see right through his act. She understood what it would mean for Edward to have a home again. Someplace he would always feel welcome, loved and wanted. Some place he didn't have to be afraid, constantly looking over his shoulder or reminded of what he'd done. She also knew that there was no way in the world Gracia or Hughes hadn't picked up on that. They'd have been blind not to see the faraway looks on his face when he was looking at their family photos or the soft smile that sometimes snuck up on him when he was watching the three of them interact as a family. She ended up sending a disbelieving hum through their bond but she didn't press the issue. She didn't need to, after all.

Dinner was actually surprisingly fun. Normally, dinner with the Curtis' was a cautious affair. Izumi didn't talk much. She was content with just observing her two ex-students and seeing how much they'd grown up. They were so different to when they first came to her as little snot-nosed brats and she couldn't help but compare them to how she remembered them. Koda was doing the same thing. Sig and Suna were happy to pick up the slack in Izumi's conversational skills tonight and, aside from a worried and semi-calculating glance from Ed, the boys didn't seem to mind or notice she was a little quitter than normal. She found herself reminiscing about the first few months of their tutelage, specifically dinner time. It was the only meal of the day where she wasn't fighting them or quizzing them or not present.

The boys had to behave a certain way when dining with them then they would by themselves or with the Rockbells. It wasn't like they had to be quiet or perfectly well-behaved at the dinner table. No one could expect any child to act like that but they had to be careful not to be too rowdy, too rough or too loud. They could still have fun, joke about, talk excitedly about what they'd done that day but they had to stay within Izumi's limits. For the first couple of months when they first came on as her students, after the island, it was a learning curve for both the boys and Izumi. She wasn't used to having her students around practically 24/7 and she did have her days where her patience wore too thin. She remembered one time she'd snapped at Al so harshly she made him cry. Ed had immediately jumped to his little brother's defense and yelled right back at her. If she hadn't been so impressed, and more than a little shocked, Ed probably would've coped a beating but both boys and Ayala escaped to their room right after Ed realised he had just yelled at her and he was smart enough not to stick around long enough for her retaliation. Not that she would've. Ed had said some very choice things and they had metaphorically knocked her on her arse.

She'd gone to bed that night after Sig had checked on the boys to make sure they had completed their bedtime routine. She didn't even have to ask her husband to do that and when she thanked him, he'd dismissed it with a wave of his meaty hand and kissed her temple good night before rolling over to get some sleep. Izumi was tired as well but Ed's words and Al's tear-stained face had bounced around in her head, preventing her from sleeping. The worst part was she couldn't even remember what Alphonse had done to warrant her anger. It had happened merely an hour ago and she couldn't remember. Koda was of no help either. She hadn't been paying attention until Ed had started yelling at her human. Ed had yelled a lot of things at Izumi but one thing had struck her the most. He'd told her that he was glad they weren't her real kids if that was how she'd treat them. Ed, of course, hadn't known how deep that comment would actually cut when he said it but he'd seen her expression and that was enough for him to realise he may have overstepped the line and made him retreat to his room, dragging Al and Ayala with him, leaving her standing in stunned silence at the dining table. Sig had immediately checked on her and it took a long time to assure him she was okay before he stopped his fussing. That night had changed a lot in her and the boys' relationships. Ed had immediately apologised in the morning and Al had apologised for upsetting her. She in turn had apologised to Alphonse for yelling at him and praised Ed for standing up to her. She wasn't soft enough to take it easier on them during training but they only grew closer after that.

Laughter at the table forced her out of her memories and she found herself watching a very irate and wet Chester. Somehow a glass of water had been knocked over on top of him and he was the only one who didn't find the situation funny. She could tell that Al was trying to contain his laughter as he used a napkin to try and dry his leopard off with. Izumi managed to crack a smile at the expression on his face and the genuine laughter that glittered in Ed's eyes as he listened to Chester's grumbling and the teasing expression that crossed his face as he silently spoke to him. Even Sig had made a couple of jokes at Chester's expense, causing the leopard to glare at him though it's effectiveness was lost behind the napkin draped over his head. Sig's large hand wrapped itself around hers under the table and he brought their clasped hands up to his lips to kiss it, his eyes finding her's and silently asking if she was okay. She let her smile answer and he seemed pleased enough with it. Some muttering at the other end of the table caught her attention and she immediately snapped into teacher mode.

"Wanna repeat that, you little brat?" She snapped and caused Ed to jump back in his seat and away from Al, fear shining from his very skin and he vehemently shook his head and stuttered out an apology. She leaned back in her chair, smirk in place. "That's what I thought." Chester must've teased him because Ed sent a scowl his way which just made the leopard's eyes glint in amusement. Ed seemed to jolt a little as he remembered something because he was facing Izumi again, none of the previous fear evident in his features. It amused her sometimes how quickly these two boys seemed to recover from these sorts of moments.

"Oh yeah, I was gonna ask you something, Teacher. Ayala just reminded me." He said, giving the wolf a scratch behind the ears before continuing. "You've seen Al's seal, right?"

"Of course I have. What about it?" She asked in her usual grouchy manner. Ed didn't seem as phased by it as he normally did.

"I was gonna ask if you think it'd be alright up north in all that snow? We both think it will since rain doesn't affect it but I've been thinking and I've realised we've only ever been caught outside in light rainfall and I've heard that Fort Briggs gets some really intense and heavy blizzards. I just want to be absolutely sure before we head up." His voice was beyond concerned and the way Al shifted had made it evident that they'd been talking about this for a while,

"Brother, I really think I'll be okay." Al said, sounding like it was the fiftieth time he'd said it. Ed simply responded with a pointed glare before turning back to face their teacher. She was thinking about it, taking what they'd told her about their travels and using the knowledge Truth had given her to try and get an answer. Finally, she looked back up to catch Ed's eye.

"I think he'll be fine." Ed let out an obvious sigh of relief and relaxed back into his chair to listen to anything else she had to say. "I doubt the snow will be able to reach his seal no matter how heavy it fell unless he was idiotic enough to take his helmet off." She sent Alphonse a pointed glare that put Ed's to shame and Al was quick to assure her he would not be doing that anytime soon. "If you're really that worried about it, I'm sure you two morons could figure out a way to protect the seal from damage." Ed was too happy at having his worries put to rest that he didn't even react to the insult. He just grinned up at Al and rapped his knuckles against the kid's armour.

"Thanks, Teacher." He said gratefully when he turned his attention back to her for a moment before the desserts Sig had ordered for them arrived. Izumi didn't protest the title and she didn't glare reproachfully at her husband for buying them dessert. This was a special occasion so dessert was permissible.

 _"You're getting soft in your old age."_ Izumi could hear the smirk in Koda's voice. She shot her bear an unimpressed look.

"Be careful what you say, Koda. This old lady will still kick your arse." There was no bite in her silent words and the bear just laughed at her. A slight cough from the other end of the table made Izumi stop her attempts at shooting daggers with her eyes at her Animal to find Ed looking at Koda, engaged in their own silent conversation. Izumi couldn't help the small amounts of jealousy that flared up inside her momentarily at the fact that another person could talk to her Animal like that before she stamped it out mercilessly. It was a ridiculous feeling and Ed's ability would save them so much trouble when it came to passing along sensitive information about this nationwide array and the homunculi. A small flash of embarrassment and a large amount of amusement made it's way from Koda through the bond. "What'd the kid have to say?" Izumi was curious. Sue her.

 _"He was just reminding me to make sure he was blocked from hearing any private conversations between us."_ The bear chuckled and Izumi sighed internally before facing Edward who was seemingly trying to both avoid and hold eye contact with her. It was hilarious to her, not that she showed it.

"So do you think this housewife is getting soft in her old age too?" The question was asked in an almost teasing manner with an almost imperceptible threatening undertone that Ed most definitely picked up on as he vehemently shook his head and stuttered out a 'no'. The way Al's armour shook slightly at the shoulders told Izumi he was either holding back his laughter or trembling in fear. If the massive grin on his face was anything to go by, Sig was extremely amused by Ed's reaction. She gave Sig a lovingly exasperated look before turning her attention back to the boys. Ed and Ayala were both glaring at Chester for something the leopard must've said. It was almost eerie how identical their expressions were. Both pairs of golden eyes were unnerving and having them both looking at you with the exact same expression would be unsettling, to say the least. "So, Edward. Your brother has told us about a few of your missions. Why don't you tell us some of the things you've been up to since you decided to become a military dog?" Izumi asked demanding and Ed knew better than to refuse.

He spent the next hour regaling them with tales about his missions. Izumi interrupted every now and then with critiques and observations about them that Ed made sure to listen to. Every word from Izumi was worth listening too. He and Al both knew better than to dismiss anything she said. Any of it could come in handy in the future. There were only a couple of stories where she didn't have anything to say, instead simply staying quiet and nodding her head slightly. That was as good as her saying 'good job' and all four Elric's silently preened at the praise. A few retellings had Izumi yelling at them for their stupidity and if they weren't in a restaurant, the critiques would probably be accompanied by a beating. As it was, the wait staff and fellow customers were looking at them with either curiousity or annoyance at the disruptions to their evenings. Izumi paid them no mind.

Sig was the first one to notice how much time had passed. Ed was in the middle of telling them about their mission before Liore, the one that involved the alchemist who was intent on targeting peoples Spirit Animals, when he pointed out the time to the rest of them. Ed swore softly under his breath though not soft enough that Izumi could miss it. She immediately backhanded him and reprimanded him for his language. He scowled and rubbed the back of his head before mumbling an apology. Izumi glared at him for a moment longer before raising a hand to signal they were ready for the cheque. Ed immediately dug for his wallet and reached for the bill but Izumi snatched it before he could. For a moment he looked like he was going to argue but he seemed to think better of it and put his wallet away, a confused expression flitting across his face before he followed Al's lead in thanking Sig and Izumi for dinner. Once the bill was paid, the boys and their Animals followed the Curtis' and their Animals back out into the lobby before coming to a stop so they could part ways.

"What time is your train leaving tomorrow? We want to see you off." Al asked once they made sure they couldn't be overheard. Al blamed his brother's and teacher's paranoia for that. Sig and their Animals just rolled with it.

"It's leaving at 9 in the morning." Teacher answered curtly like she was trying to discourage them from accompanying them. Ed nodded but didn't say anything, leaving that up to his much more polite little brother.

"We'll meet you here at-" Al cut himself off at the exact moment Chester, Ed and Ayala all stiffened. A millisecond later, Al realised why they'd reacted like that. He could sense it through Chester. There was a homunculous nearby. A second later, Koda, Izumi, Suna and Sig were noticeably on edge. Ed must've told them. A pointed look from his brother made Al keep talking. "Sorry. We'll meet here at, what, 8am? Or did you want to get breakfast first?" Al asked while Ayala and Ed looked around the room carefully and discreetly. The other Animals were doing their own check or their surroundings.

"You expect us to eat train food? No, we'll get breakfast beforehand. Your shout." Izumi told them and Al nodded before Ed caught his eyes and shook his head minutely. None of them could see the homunculous which either meant it was gone or it was outside waiting for them. Ayala couldn't sense them anymore and, after a quick check, Ed realised none of the Animals could sense it. He was leaning towards being cautiously optimistic they'd caught a lingering scent, like at the First Branch, so he rejoined the conversation.

"We'll see you here for breakfast?" Ed confirmed and Izumi nodded, head slightly tilted towards Koda, obviously listening to what the bear was saying. Ed and Al said their goodbyes and, after a near bone-breaking slap on Ed's shoulder by Sig, they headed for the street. Izumi and Sig watched them carefully until they were out of sight before they headed up for their room with their Animals.

"They'll be alright, love. They're strong boys and they know to contact Koda or Suna if something happens before they make it back to the Hughes'." Sig murmured just loud enough for Izumi to hear and she sighed before looking up at him with adoring eyes.

"I know, dear. I'm not worried about those two brats. They were trained by me. They better be able to handle a small problem like a homunculous. If they can't, they'll have me to answer too." Izumi said fiercely, eyes burning with a promise of violence that would've put both Elric's on edge if they'd been there to see it. Sig just smiled lovingly at her. This was his wife's way of showing how much she worried and cared. Despite her nonchalance towards the matter, he knew she'd be up until Koda heard if they'd made it back safe.

Ed and Al were pleased with their ability to act like they weren't on edge as they walked home. Ayala and Chester were walking slightly behind both of them in case someone snuck up behind them but overall, they felt like they looked like they didn't have a care in the world. They discussed things they'd seen during the day that they would've liked to have bought or shops they were never going to visit again while keeping all of their senses alert and utilising all of their training in case they were ambushed. Ayala had told Ed, who'd passed the message onto Al, that this wasn't a homunculous she recognised, which ruled out the Fuhrer, the woman from the Fifth Lab and the second scent they'd picked up outside of the charred remains of the First Branch. Chester piped up and told them the scent wasn't similar to the one in Dublith and Ed had killed the only other one they'd seen or sensed which meant this was a whole new one and Ed scowled with that realisation. For all they knew, there could be 60 homunculi running around Amestris and he hated not being certain.

They kept it up with the light chatter all the way to the Hughes' front door and were relieved to have reached it without sensing the homunculi again. They didn't relax until they were let in by Gracia and the door was shut behind them though, just in case. Gracia greeted them like she normally would, asking about their day and making general small talk while Ed removed his shoes and jackets, but Ed had been staying with them for too long not to have picked up her tells and he could see she knew something was up with them. A pang of guilt passed through him at the realisation he was making her worried. He felt Ayala send Koda the message that they got back safely while they were walking down the hall and he was grateful for that. He knew he would've forgotten otherwise. They rounded the corner into the living room and Ed managed to realise Mustang and Hughes weren't in the room before he found himself suddenly under attack by Elysia, who somehow managed to look tired, scolding and excited all at the same time. Ed knew he was about to get dressed down by the five year old and decided to head her off before she could start.

"I'm sorry we're so late, El. Teacher and Sig wanted to have dinner with us since they're going home tomorrow and we got busy talking." He knelt down so he was eye level with the blonde and used the most apologetic expression he could muster. Ayala offered her own apology by giving the little girl the most dramatic puppy-dog eyes she could muster. Chester finally made her forget her anger by unleashing his kitten eyes on her and causing her to giggle at them.

"It's okay, big brothers! Mummy said you'd be home late but that you'd be here for dinner tomorrow night instead! And if I was on my bestest behaviour, she was gonna ask if you could make breaky in the morning!" Elysia told them delightedly and Gracia was able to shoot Ed an apologetic look that he waved off.

"Well, were you on your bestest behaviour tonight?" Ed asked, deadly serious and Elysia nodded so enthusiastically, he couldn't help but grin a little. "Then I guess I'm making breakfast. You've gotta be up really early though 'cuz we have to go to the train station to say goodbye to Teacher and Sig." Gracia pursed her lips slightly and Ed sent her a questioning look.

"I didn't realise they were leaving so soon. How about Ed cooks breakfast for you the morning after so he can say goodbye to his teacher?" Gracia asked Elysia, who pouted her displeasure but nodded after a moment. Ed ruffled her hair.

"Thanks, kiddo." He smiled at her and she gave him a toothy grin back. Mustang and Hughes decided to enter the living room at the moment Ed was straightening up from his crouch. Maes' face immediately lit up upon seeing them both and Nala was only slightly less enthusiastic as they both greeted them. Maes came over and wrapped Ed up in a bear hug that the blonde allowed for precisely one second before he tried to squirm his way out of it. Mustang hung back in the room, amused, and offered as much help as Al did: none. Hughes finally let him go after a solid poke in the ribs by his automail and turned his affectionate attention Al which let Ed take the chance reacquaint his lungs with air. The fact that Al couldn't feel hugs, or any sort of contact, didn't stop Maes from trying to give him the same treatment as his brother.

"I'm glad you boys are back safe and sound." Hughes said as he grinned at both of them, relinquishing his hold on Al. "We were starting to get a bit worried about you." He told them and Mustang rolled his eyes at Hughes definition of 'a bit worried'. The bespectacled man had been slowly working himself into a frenzy the second Elyisa's bedtime had passed, convinced Ed and Al had managed to get kidnapped. Mustang had to acknowledge it was a legitimate concern considering the unnerving amounts of times one of them, usually Ed, had been kidnapped. Gracia had helpfully calmed her husband down by pointing out that Ed, Ayala or Chester would've contacted one of their Animals if something had happened and that it was exceedingly unlikely something had managed to knock all three of them unconscious at the same time.

"We weren't that late." Ed frowned. They were only half an hour late which, considering their track record at being on time, wasn't that bad. "Besides, we can take of ourselves." He pointed out and Al made a noise that told Ed he was rolling his eyes.

"What Ed meant to say is that we're sorry for making you worried." Al told them and Ed looked at him incredulously. Mustang snorted in disbelief and somehow managed to make it seem like a cough. Hughes paid no attention to the apology.

"Don't worry about it. But now that you're here, it is time for a certain someone to go to bed so they don't wake up cranky." Hughes said, looking at Elysia pointedly.

"Mustang?" Ed quipped before Elysia could whine and both Hughes and Gracia snorted in amusement at the look on Mustang's face. Nala cackled at her human's expense and Al simply sighed resignedly. "Sorry. Couldn't resist." Ed shrugged apologetically though he didn't sound overly sorry. It was enough that Al didn't lecture him on respecting his superior officers. After they'd collected themselves, Maes and Gracia managed to get Elysia to say goodnight to everyone and up to bed. Ed managed to escape to the shower and finally wash off all the sweat and dirt that he'd accumulated thanks to his fight with Izumi.

"So Al says you were followed by a homunculous tonight." Ed jumped as he dumped his dirty laundry on top of his suitcase. He had not been expecting to be spoken to as soon as he entered the living room. Mustang was still looking at him for an answer and both Gracia and Hughes looked concerned. Ed shot Al a half-hearted glare before he flopped down next to his brother and Animal on the couch.

"That's not strictly accurate. Technically, Ayala and Chester picked up a new scent while we were still in the hotel lobby Teacher and Sig are staying at. They couldn't sense anything once we were outside and nothing was out of the ordinary on our way back." Ed shrugged nonchalantly. "I would've told you myself once I got out of the shower. I'm not stupid enough to keep that sort of thing to myself." He glared at Mustang, mainly for the tone of voice the man had used. Mustang did not seem phased by the glare and, if Ed didn't know better, he even looked worried.

"Are you sure you weren't followed?" Maes asked, evidently concerned about the danger possibly posed to his family if the way he squeezed Gracia's hand was any indication.

"I promise we saw no sign we were followed. Ayala nor Chester caught their scent again and we kept watch the whole way back. If we thought there was even a chance we were followed, we wouldn't have come back here." Ed was pretty proud of how well he kept the hurt out of his voice. "Besides, I really don't think they'd be stupid enough to go after you again." Maes was not the only one who was shocked by that statement.

"What do you mean, brother?" Al was eventually the one who asked.

"Well, think about it. The only reason they were going to kill Maes was to prevent him from telling us what he found out. Maybe to send us a warning or something as well but mainly to stop him from telling us about the array. They failed at that." Ed said. This was something he'd been thinking about since they decided to go up north. He didn't want to put them in danger and he didn't want to leave them exposed. He didn't want something like Nina to happen again. "There is no reason to go after you guys now since they will have realised you've told us everything by now. They're gonna be too busy making sure Al and I don't cause them any problems. Plus, we might have an added bonus. I'm not certain they know I was there when Hughes was attacked so hopefully they think he has figured out a sure-fire way to kill them with one hit. They have to have noticed Palm Tree didn't survive by now." Ed finished speaking and looked up to meet Maes' eyes. The worry seemed to have dissipated a lot but there was still some underlying concerns. Ed made a gesture that told him just ask whatever was obviously bothering him.

"What if you're wrong? What if the only reason they haven't gone after me again is because you've been staying here and they know you can kill them? I can't stay here to protect them all the time without people asking questions." Ed frowned. There was always the possibility he was wrong. He was hopeful they didn't know about his involvement in what happened to Palm Tree but his luck was never that good.

"I can trap your house." He offered. "I can place alchemic traps around the house that'll go off if someone with a Philosopher's Stone steps into them. I can do it so it either traps them or takes them out completely." It'd be taxing and a big job to set up an array that covered the whole house but he could do it. He'd just have to have one hell of a nap afterwards.

"You could do that?" Gracia asked, cautious hope in her voice. "You could create an array that big?" Ed nodded.

"Yeah. You just have to decide whether you want the array to kill the homunculi or trap it. Though it can only be used once. That just means that if it's triggered, I'll have to come back to re-set it." He explained. "Though Mustang should be able to re-set it as well. It's not flame alchemy but it's not that hard to understand." He added. Mustang was about to make a comment when he realised Ed wasn't teasing him.

"We don't want the array to trap them. I won't risk Elysia or Gracia being home and stuck in the house with a trapped and pissed-off homunculous." Maes finally said. Ed nodded his understanding. He figured that would be the call they'd make. It would've been the call he would've made as well. He thought of his Philosopher Stone destroying array and pictured any changes he thought he needed to make before he went and fetched some paper and a pencil to sketch out the array. He needed to make sure it was perfect before he placed it over the house. He sat back in his spot and quickly sketched it out before showing Al. They made a few more changes before they were both happy with it.

"Where's the centre point of your entire house, yard included?" Ed asked, standing up, array clutched in his hand. Maes stood as well, a little surprised.

"You wanna do it now?" He asked incredulously. Ed frowned at him in confusion.

"Yeah. Is there a reason I can't?" He asked, suddenly unsure but Maes shook his head.

"No, I just assumed you wouldn't set it up until before you left to go see your pretty mechanic." Maes said, familiar teasing making its way into his voice.

"Sister, Hughes. She's basically my sister." Ed rolled his eyes. "Centre point?" He asked again, shoving Maes back onto the original topic. The teasing did relieve some of the unrealised nervousness in the room. Hughes gestured for Ed to follow him, the blonde obeyed immediately and wasn't surprised when Ayala, Nala and Mustang followed him. Once they reached the point Hughes had deemed the centre of his home, an indiscriminate part of a hallway, Ed crouched down and smoothed out his sketch. He studied it carefully, paying close attention to all the changes they'd made and once he was 100% confident he'd memorised it, he clapped his hands together. The sound rang out and he felt the energy build. He let it grow, the pressure straining against him, demanding to be let out but he refused until he had enough energy built for the job at hand. As soon as he reached that point, he slammed his hands onto the floorboards and let the energy out with an almost pained gasp. The released energy ruffled their clothing and hair as it rolled passed them and Ed watched it carefully, making sure it covered the entirety of the area before he stopped the energy flow and completed the array.

He was pretty proud of himself for managing to pull it off so perfectly and even more proud when he barely stumbled when he straightened up from the sudden lack of energy. Ayala nudged her head up under his flesh arm and he sighed before silently assuring her he was completely fine and repeating himself to Nala when she butted her head on his thigh. He felt a hand on his flesh shoulder and looked up to see both Hughes and Mustang looking concerned. Judging from the way Hughes questioningly said his name just now, they must've been said his name a couple times before and Ed had completely missed it. The array may not have been at the same level, energy-draining wise, as the human transmutation array but it was still one of the tougher ones he's had to pull off, if only because of the precision needed.

"Yeah, sorry. It's all done. Once a Stone comes into contact with the circle, it'll destroy it. Like I said before, it works once and then an alchemist will need to re-arm it." Ed told them and his temple throbbed slightly with the headache he had known was coming. He nearly missed Mustang's eye-roll and Hughes' soft, yet slightly exasperated, sigh. His brows furrowed with confusion. "What?" He snapped. Hadn't he just answered their question?

"I was asking if you were okay, Ed." Hughes explained and Ed's face turned surprised before softening a little. Mustang frowned a little at that. Surely Ed didn't really think they weren't concerned with his well-being?

"Yeah, I'm okay." He said, unconvincingly if Hughes' flat stare was anything to go by. "Fine. I've got a headache and I'm a bit tired. Nothing a good night's sleep won't fix and certainly nothing to be worried about." Ed told them matter-of-factually. He'd never admit to anyone the warmth that ran through him momentarily when he'd realised that both men were genuinely worried about him, though confusion certainly wormed it's way through him at the realisation that Mustang was worried about him too. That didn't compute with the last three years of interactions with the man. Unless Ayala and Nala were right all along and it was merely an act? He was jolted, literally, out of that thought by someone pushing on the small of his back and making him stumble a couple steps forward. A glance over his shoulder proved that it was Maes trying to make him move back towards the living room.

"I'll get you some painkillers for that headache while you go lay down." Maes told him, removing his hand so Ed didn't have to.

"Don't bother. I don't need them. It's just a small headache." Ed flippantly waved off their concern as he finally made it into the lounge room and was immediately greeted by an anxious Al. He barely had time to register Al's behaviour before he suddenly had a seven-foot-tall suit of armour hovering over him.

"Are you okay, brother? Chester said you felt dizzy," Cue dirty look at the leopard "and I felt that wave of energy. It was massive! So I knew there'd be something up with you even before Ches said anything so please stop glaring at him." Al requested and Ed did as he was asked, rolling his eyes and huffing, before he bypassed his brother and collapsed on the couch Ayala was already waiting on.

"Headache, tired, that's it." Ed told him gruffly as he made himself comfortable, grumbling slightly when Ayala licked his forehead in concern. Al made a concerned, humming noise but, thankfully, didn't press him for a more detailed report. The next thing Ed registered was the feeling of a small hand pressing something into his flesh hand. Opening his eyes revealed Gracia was kneeling by his side and was giving him some aspirin, glass of water ready to passed over once he sat up. Just as Maes had suspected, Ed muttered about not needing it but sat up and swallowed both pills for Gracia with minimum fuss. Ed must've heard his light chuckle because he flipped him off as he lay back down, causing Maes to laugh a little more. Gracia bent in front of Ed and was telling him something, voice too soft for Maes to make out but Ed gave a small smile and nod in response before she stood back up, Ed's gaze following her carefully. Al moved to go sit next to his brother and Ed gave him his trademark grin before they delved into an almost silent conversation. Chester was there, curled up against Ed's legs and appeared to be dozing though Maes could see the small twitches of his ears betraying he was listening.

A pointed head tilt from Gracia has the two other adults heading towards the kitchen and sitting at the table while Gracia bustles around the kitchen before joining them with freshly made cuppas. It didn't escape either of their notices that they could hear the two boys talking in the lounge room, low enough they still couldn't hear it though. Roy looked around and noticed his Animal had joined the Elrics and couldn't even pretend to be surprised. Nala seemed to have decided that if he couldn't show how much he truly cared and worried about them both, she was going to do it enough for the both of them. Leo and Lilith were curled up next to each other, inbetween the chairs their humans were sitting at. They chatted quietly amongst themselves until they'd finished their drinks, the conversation turning from Gracia assuring them Ed was definitely okay to discussing things they needed to do to ensure Gracia and Elysia would be okay when they left the house. After all, the array only defended them when they were within the circle. By the end of the conversation, Maes looked much more relaxed than he had since before the boys left the house that morning. Al's quiet laughter floated through the walls and they assumed it was safe to head back into the lounge room, diverting to the kitchen to deposit their dirty mugs in the sink. They walked in to see Al sitting cross-legged in front of the couch while Ed lay propped against Ayala with Chester curled at his feet and Nala lazing on the back. The brothers were talking about something that had happened during the day while they were out but they stopped talking once the adults came back in the room.

"We're gonna head off to bed. Do you need anything?" Gracia asked as Mustang gathered his things up to head for the bathroom.

"Nah, we're good, thanks." Ed told them. "Good night." He smiled and Al echoed his words. Maes and Gracia returned the sentiment and Maes headed for the bathroom to shout 'good night' to Mustang through the locked door, causing the other man to angrily curse him before he gruffly said it back and Maes followed his wife upstairs, winking at the Elrics before he disappeared out of view.

"No wonder you and the Lieutenant-Colonel get along, brother. You both take way too much pleasure in annoying Colonel Mustang." Al said somewhat disapprovingly. Ed laughed softly and petted his brother's arm a couple of times.

"I'm sure he's used to it by now." Ed pointed out and Al would've rolled his eyes if he had them. "Let's move onto something a bit more intriguing. Teacher hugged me!" Ed reminded him and Al nodded. "She doesn't hug people unless they're Sig! Why did she hug me?"

"I dunno. She hugged me when I explained what had happened that night. Maybe she was telling us she cares and that she's happy we're not dead?" Al suggested and Ed considered that for a moment but didn't look overly convinced. "You could always ask her tomorrow when we see them off."Al pointed out and Ed gave him a scandalised look.

"And getting beaten halfway to death for asking something stupid? No way! You ask her." Ed almost shouted and Al cackled at him, causing Ed to scowl slightly, especially when both Ayala and Chester laughed inside his head. "This is serious! Teacher has never hugged us before. What if something's wrong?" Ed asked, the concern in his voice causing Al and the Animals to stop their laughing.

"Ed, I'm sure she's as fine as she always is. If something was wrong, Koda would've told you and Sig would be more worried than usual about her. I think the hugs were her way of showing she understood why we did it and that she is happy we survived." Al said rationally and Ed slumped further in his spot while he thought it over. Of course his brother had a point. Sig definitely wouldn't be this calm if Izumi wasn't as healthy as she normally is and he knew Koda would tell him. That bear had always told them if Izumi wasn't feeling well though she did have to go through Ayala to do it.

"You're probably right." Ed eventually said and Al snorted. Ed ignored him in favour of arranging himself more comfortably on the couch, stifling a yawn his brother still spotted.

"You should get some sleep, brother. That array really took it out of you." Al fussed as he watched Ed struggle to keep his eyes from drooping.

 _"Your brother's right. Get some sleep, Ed."_ Ayala injected before Ed could argue with Al about how tired he was.

"M'not tired though." Ed pouted, voice dripping in exhaustion.

 _"I can literally feel how tired you are. Stop arguing and go to sleep. Unless you want Izumi to yell at you when you fall asleep at breakfast in the morning."_ Ayala smirked knowing she had won from the way Ed glared at her but couldn't stop the slight shiver of fear at the thought of that happening.

"Fine." Ed scowled, knowing he'd lost and burrowed further into the blankets Al had thrown over him. "G'night." He yawned and even Chester was impressed by how quickly he managed to fall asleep.

"'Not tired'. Yeah, right.' Al scoffed fondly as he grabbed his book and leant against the arm of the chair his brother was facing. Ayala let out an amused snort that could have also been a sneeze before she closed her eyes and dozed until she was tired enough to fall asleep herself. Nala lifted her head up and watched the doorway and Al wasn't surprised to see the Colonel walk back into the lounge room slash temporary bedroom. Al saw Mustang's expression soften as his eyes fell onto the sleeping blonde before he turned the main light off and got himself comfortable on his couch/bed. Nala waited until he stopped his movements before leaping clean over Ed's sleeping form and landing with barely a sound before she padded over to her human and curled up on his legs. Al was quite content to sit there in the comfortable silence and read his book when Mustang's whispered voice broke it.

"Is he alright?" Al looked over at the older man and saw him watching Ed with worry before is dark eyes flicked over to Al, waiting for his answer.

"Yeah. He's just tired. Some good sleep will do him a world of wonders." Al reassured him. Hopefully Ed was so deeply asleep the nightmares that plagued him wouldn't find him tonight. Al knew his brother had woken up a few times since he got back to Central from his sleep because of nightmares, no matter how much Ed denied it the next morning.

"That's good. I didn't realise the array would take so much out of him. I'm surprised Hughes didn't say anything considering he must've seen how tired Fullmetal was when he destroyed that homunculous." Mustang frowned. It wasn't like his best friend to not have noticed that sort of thing and to have not brought it up tonight when Ed offered to prime the array.

"I doubt the Lieutenant-Colonel noticed." Al's tinny voice broke him out of his thoughts. A questioning hum prompted the armour to continue. "Brother was in a pretty nasty fight beforehand and he had just been released from hospital. I wouldn't be surprised if he'd just assumed the tiredness was from all of that, not just the act of destroying that stone." Al pointed out and Mustang was kind of embarrassed he hadn't thought of that. "Plus, Ed is really good at hiding that sort of thing if he wants too." The young boy reminded him and Mustang snorted in agreement. He was well aware that his youngest subordinate had probably hidden the vast majority of his injuries and exhaustion over the years.

"You've got a point there." Mustang conceded. He sighed as he felt his own brand of tiredness catch up with him from his own busy day. Just because they'd finally unpacked the entirety of the office didn't mean his First Lieutenant was going easy on the paperwork. He'd been pretty sure he'd signed at least half a forest's worth of paper before lunch and that was on top of house hunting so he didn't have to sleep on Maes' couch anymore. Then he spent the night dealing with Maes' growing worry about the boys not being back until Gracia got a message from Ed telling them they would be back before Elysia's bedtime which had come and gone, causing him to worry and stop Maes from sending out a search party, before they'd finally gotten back only to find out they'd possibly been stalked by a new homunculous. Then Ed had to wrap up the night by nearly collapsing from overexerting himself, causing Mustang's concern to finally bleed through his usual mask and Ed had noticed, if the look of confusion and cautious happiness was anything to go by. He was going to have to ask Alphonse about that second emotion when Edward wasn't nearby to overhear them. Deciding that getting some sleep would be more productive, if only so he didn't get shot by Hawkeye for falling asleep on his paperwork again, he bade the youngest Elric a good night before shutting his eyes and eventually drifting off to sleep.

Al wished the Colonel a quiet good night and watched the man until his breathing evened out before he checked on his older brother who was still sleeping nice and peacefully with no sign of an approaching nightmare. Once he was happy they were both asleep, he turned back to his book. Chester helped keep him from getting bored once he'd finished the alchemy text he was reading by chatting to him about anything and everything. Ayala soon joined the conversation when she woke up sometime in the early hours, having Chester work as a messenger. Eventually he made them both go back to sleep while he grabbed a new book and waited for his brother to wake up and the new day to start.

 **A/N - I'm so sorry this one took me so long to publish and that it's so short! I really struggled with Izumi and Sig and I really don't think I captured their likeness to the anime. I've got work for the next few days so I won't be able to work on the next chapter until after I'm done but hopefully I can get it written and up quicker than I did this one. Thank you to my lovely reviewers and those of you who have stuck with this story so far. As always, pretty please leave me a review so I know what you thought of it. Honestly, reviews make my day and every criticism helps me improve my writing so please review even if you think it's a horrible chapter. Thank you!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25-**

Ed, Ayala, Al and Chester's morning all went by fairly quickly and before they knew it, they were watching the train bound for Dublith leave the station with their teacher, Sig and their Animals aboard. The morning had been rather uneventful, Ed and Al getting cuffs behind the ear when they said something stupid or misbehaved in front of Izumi while they had breakfast, and none of the Animals picked up any scents indicating a homunculous was nearby. Sig hugged them hard enough Ed was sure his ribs were just about to crack and that there was a new dent in Al's armour. Koda and Suna extracted a promise out of Ed and Ayala that they would keep in contact with them and not just to pass along information about the homunculi's plans or the nationwide array. Ed had a feeling Chester and Al were asked to promise the same thing as they clambered aboard, Koda taking up as much room as Sig, forcing the four to split between two sets of benches. Ed, Al and the two Animals watched in amusement as they tried to figure out the seating plan and the glare sent their way by Teacher told them they weren't as discreet with their amusement as they thought they were. The glare made them thankful there was a train separating them from each. The train whistle blew, announcing it's departure and they exchanged final goodbyes and threats from Teacher about staying in contact and not doing something stupid, like getting themselves killed. The Elrics watched until the train had completely left the station before they headed back for the Hughes' place.

"I can't decide whether I'm happy or sad that they've left." Ed broke the pleasant silence. "I am surprised neither of us were injured or killed though." Al seemed to hum in agreement.

"I'll miss them. It was fun catching up with them in Dublith and having them here for a little while." Al sounded a little melancholy before his demeanour changed. "Who would've thought Koda would've been such a mother-hen to us?" Ed looked at him bemused.

"What are you talking about? Koda was always like that. She just couldn't tell us directly like she can now." Ed reminded him and Al let out a confused noise.

"I don't remember her being so protective though. I thought she was going to eat the man who nearly knocked you over this morning!" Al exclaimed and Ed felt a minor pang of sympathy for the stranger.

"Yeah, poor bastard. He was just running late to work. Imagine having a bear standing over you and snarling because you bumped into a random person? I bet the adrenaline high doesn't wear off any time soon." Ed snickered. As bad as he felt for him, the dude was threatened because of him after all, his expression had been hilarious. "Koda had always been that protective of us though. Don't you remember? Like that time we were at the lake and you almost fell of the pier? She managed to grab you by the hem of your shirt and pull you back before you fell in and then roared at you? Teacher told us she had been angry because you hadn't listened to her telling us to be careful but Sig took us aside later and told us she'd 'yelled' because she was afraid for you." Ed recalled the memory. He and Ayala had turned back and had been halfway down the pier when Al's startled yelp had grabbed their attention. They'd turned back and, for a heart-stopping moment, Ed had thought Koda was attacking his little brother. It was made clear a split second later that wasn't the case as she pulled Al back from the ledge and let go of his shirt just as Ed had reached him. She hadn't even torn the fabric of his shirt, a fact that had stunned Ed momentarily before he fussed over Al, making sure he was alright. The roar that Koda had let out was in such stark contrast to that proof of gentleness, Ed was sure he wouldn't have believed they came from the same Animal if he hadn't witnessed it with his own eyes.

"Oh! I remember that now!" Al's exclamation pulled Ed from his thoughts. He was shocked to see Maes and Gracia's home was already in view. "I can't believe I forgot about that." Something in Al's voice made Ed look up at him concerned. It was like he really hadn't remembered until Ed had described the memory to him. The older Elric looked away, deep in thought.

 _"You okay?"_ Ayala's soft voice broke through his thoughts and Ed sent her a reassuring feeling. He felt her curiosity and desire to push the subject but she didn't and he was thankful. He was too busy thinking about Al's memory problem to be trying to talk to her right now. It wasn't the first time Al had forgotten something from their childhood. Ed couldn't remember exactly how many times this had happened since that night but it couldn't have been more than a dozen. He'd written it off as Al having been too young to remember. There were things Winry, Granny or Al had brought up from their childhood that he couldn't remember but Al should've been able to remember that moment with Koda. Even if he'd been a lot younger than 9, that roar should've been seared into his memories for life. It certainly was for Ed. Something was wrong and it frustrated Ed that he couldn't figure it out. A squeal of delight broke him out of his thoughts this time and he came back to himself just in time to brace himself as a small figure launched itself at his legs and nearly knocked him flat.

"Argh! Elysia! What's this all about?" Ed exclaimed as he stumbled back enough to collide with Al. Elysia looked up at him with her big, doey eyes and grinned ecstatically.

"Mummy said we're gonna go to the shops! If I'm real good, she said she's gonna buy me some new colouring things so I can draw more pictures for you two and daddy and Uncle Roy!" She let go of his legs and backed up slightly to jump up and down as she squealed excitedly. Gracia had made her way to the front door to watch the scene with a soft smile.

"You're welcome to join us, if you'd like. We need to do our big shop for food and everything else we need so we'll be out the whole afternoon once we've had lunch." Gracia told them and Elysia immediately turned her puppy-dog eyes onto them.

"Please, big brothers? Come shopping with us? It'll be so much fun and mummy might take us to the candy store!" Elysia begged and Gracia tried to muffle her laughter at her daughter's bribery tactics. She definitely took after her father.

"I dunno." Ed said, seemingly unconvinced. He nudged Al slightly. "What do you think, little brother?" Al pretended to contemplate while Elysia turned up her puppy-dog eyes to max effect.

"Hmm, I don't know, big brother. We've just spent all morning at the train station. Do you think this candy store is worth it?" Al asked after a moment and Elysia started jumping up and down again.

"Yes! Yes it is! It's got all sorts of candies! It's got sour ones and sweet ones and ones coated in chocolate and all sorts! There's _millions_ of candies in there!" Elysia informed them and resumed her shameless silent begging. Ed was able to hold off for nearly a minute before he grinned.

"Course we'll go with you, El. You can't keep us out of a candy store." He winked at her and she giggled with delight before wrapping her arms around each boy and Animal in joy before darting back into the house, shouting about how she was going to get ready. Gracia rolled her eyes fondly at her enthusiasm before shooing the boys inside so she could go and remind her daughter they were leaving after lunch, not right away. Ed and Al laughed and wished her luck before they headed into the lounge room to relax after their morning. Ayala and Chester joined the both of them on the couch and Lilith soon made her appearance and curled up on Ed's lap, much to Ayala's chagrin.

Once they'd eaten lunch and cleaned up the kitchen, the four humans and their Animals headed downtown. Gracia wanted to get the small shopping down, including the promised visit to the candy shop, before the big grocery shop so they didn't have to lug the food around with them. Elysia was holding her mother's hand and enthusiastically pulling her from store to store up until she spotted the candy shop. She let go of her mother and latched onto Ed and Al and began dragging them down the street with all of her strength so they could look through the window while waiting for Gracia and the Animals to catch up. Elysia was pointing out all of the lollies she liked and not-so-subtly hinting at what ones she wanted. Once Gracia had caught up with them, Elysia started pulling them into the shop before realising the three of them wouldn't fit through the door at the same time. Al helped her make the choice about whose hand to let go of by gently extracting his from her death-grip, leaving Ed to suffer the tour by himself. The glare he received from his older brother was worth it.

Ed wasn't sure who was more excited, Elysia or the shopkeeper. The kind-eyed woman behind the counter had soon realised that Ed would pay for a small amount of each lolly Elysia recommended and the five-year-old certainly had a lot of recommendations. Gracia finally took pity on the teenager and told Elysia she needed to choose some candy for herself so they could leave. The little girl had pouted until her mother informed her that she either chose five types now or they left. The threat had the intended effect and they were soon being ushered out of the store by Gracia while the lady told them to come back anytime they wanted. A Rainbow Lorikeet they hadn't noticed initially mimicked the shopkeeper's goodbye from it's perch.

They took their time walking up the street to the big grocery store and they all indulged Elysia in her excitement and babble. The afternoon reminds Ed and Al of trips into Resembool with their mother and Ed feels a sharp pain in his heart. Elysia was just as curious as they were when they were her age and Gracia was just as gentle and patient with her as their mother was with them. They didn't let their pain show anymore than Al catching and squeezing Ed's hand when the sadness that always came with thinking of their mother showed in his eyes. Ed gave him a small, grateful smile before squeezing his hand back just before he released it. If Gracia had noticed, she didn't show it and Ed found himself silently thanking the woman for it. It took them almost three times as long as it should've but they finally made it to the grocery store Gracia wanted to shop at.

"Can one of you boys grab a second trolley, please?" Gracia asked as she pulled one out of the trolley bay and Ed nodded as he grabbed the requested trolley and followed her into the store. Elysia seemed to have a game she liked to play where she tried to sneak in some sort of junk-food into one of their trollies without them noticing. Ed realised that Gracia sometimes pretended not to notice when she slipped something in, making the little girl grin with delight at her apparent sneakiness. Al was roped into being her accomplice, grabbing whatever item she not-so-subtly pointed at and giving it to her to place in the chosen trolley while she tried to smother her giggles. They'd neared the end of the shop when Gracia asked them if there was anything they wanted.

"No, Miss Gracia. We'll be in Rush Valley by the end of the week. Thanks anyway." Ed told her and she frowned slightly.

"I know but that doesn't mean you can't get anything while we'e here. You'll still be staying with us for a few days so if there's anything you want, go get it." She told them, not budging on the issue.

"There really isn't anything we need, Miss Gracia." He told her and added an 'I swear' when she didn't look like she believed him. She finally decided he was telling the truth and sent him first through the checkout. Once she'd paid for the groceries and their delivery, they made their way out of the store. They stopped in an arts and crafts place for Elysia's promised goods since she'd behaved herself before heading back to the house, making it just in time to meet the delivery driver and help him unload the items before packing them away in the kitchen. Well, Al, Ed and Gracia did the actual unpacking while the Animals distracted Elysia long enough for them to get everything done.

Later that night, after Mustang and Hughes got back from work and they'd had dinner, Ed contacted Michella to see how long they'd be with his cold-weather automail. She didn't sound pleased about being spoken to, something Ed took to mean they were in the middle of work, but she did respond after a few minutes, telling him Winry thought they'd be done in three days time. She did remind him he'd to take it easy for a day or two so he could adjust to the weight difference since this set was made from lighter materials. He thanked her and she huffed in response before cutting their connection so she could get back to helping Winry. Ed took a moment to reflect how well Michella suited his mechanic before he told the others what she'd told him.

"So you'll be heading for Rush Valley in three days time?" Mustang asked and Ed nodded.

"Yeah. Hopefully I can get the automail fitted straight away, assuming Winry is finished when we get there. If not, we'll just hang around until she does. You never know, we might be able to find some information about everything out there. There are a lot of automail mechanics and they may have heard stories from clients that could help us." Ed shrugged as he sank back into the couch. He smirked at Mustang. "That means you have about six days to figure out a legit reason to send us north so we can talk to the Major-General, if you haven't already." He reminded him. Mustang sighed. Apparently, he hadn't already thought of an excuse. Gracia decided to change the subject before Ed could tease him, like she could see him about to do.

"How's the house-hunting going?" She asked Mustang and that was answered with an even bigger sigh.

"I think I found one that's suitable. I'm going to look at it tomorrow on my lunch break." He said, sounding rather miserable. Ed figured there were only so many houses you could look at before you get sick of it enough to just pick something completely random. "If it's suitable, I'll be out of your hair soon." He added and Gracia gave him a soft smile.

"You know we don't mind you staying here with us for however long it takes for you to get a place of your own. Just make sure it's a house you can be happy living in." Gracia told him, sounding almost stern.

"I'm grateful for that, I really am. But there's only a certain amount of time I can hang around him," he jerked a thumb in Maes' direction, "before I start questioning why he's my best friend." His eyes had a slight twinkle in them, the only indication that he was joking.

"Hey!" Maes spluttered indignantly while Ed and Gracia laughed. Even Al couldn't hold back his chuckle and, judging from their expressions, most of the Animals were laughing silently at his expense as well. Elysia was the only one who wasn't laughing, though that was probably because she hadn't been paying that much attention to the adults, too busy fighting to stay awake. Gracia was quick to realise her daughter wasn't going to last much longer, whether her stubbornness let her stay awake or not, and took her up to her room with surprisingly little fuss from the little girl. Hughes trailed after them, complaining about the unfairness of Roy's comment and how everyone was being mean to him. Leo rolled his eyes from his newly acclaimed spot on Hughes' vacated armchair. Al nudged Ed carefully so he could get his attention.

"You need to go for a shower." He told him in response to the quirked brow. Ed glanced at himself and saw that he hadn't yet gone for a shower and looked mildly surprised before doing as his brother suggested. It didn't really hit Ed how tired he was until he was in the bathroom. Sure, he wasn't as tired as he normally was thanks to his brother, Animal and commanding officer making him go to sleep every night and he knows he has nowhere near reached his limits and that, if he wanted to, he could last another four nights, five if he pushed himself, of no sleep. No, what surprised him was that he even felt tired after a fairly laid back day like today. Apparently, running around after a five-year-old on a sugar high is a rather demanding job. He left the bathroom and semi-watched Mustang leave to go for his own shower as soon as Ed sat back down on his couch, getting himself comfortable so Ayala and Chester could do the same. He chatted quietly with his brother and the Animals until Mustang came back from the shower and the Hughes' came back downstairs once Elysia had fallen asleep. They weren't long before they were telling everyone a goodnight and heading to their room, leaving Mustang and the Elrics downstairs by themselves. Ed noticed Mustang fall asleep pretty quickly, Nala was stretched out on top of him so he couldn't turn onto his side if he wanted too.

"We should go see Armstrong tomorrow." He whispered to his brother and, judging from the slight clanking noise, scaring him in the process.

"Why?" Al whispered back once he placed his book aside.

"To talk to him about his sister. Get his take on what she's like and see if we can get any insight on whether she's likely to side with us or not." Ed told him and Al made a soft noise of understanding.

"You also need to go back and see Doctor Overland before we go to Rush Valley." Al remembered suddenly and Ed had to bite back a groan of annoyance. He'd forgotten about that and spared a fleeting wish that Al had never remembered.

 _"I would've reminded you anyway. I also would've told Chester so he could tell Al if you didn't listen to me."_ Ayala informed him, obviously having sensed his thoughts and Ed muttered something unsavoury under his breath about that. He could feel Chester's amusement through their bond and it simply deepened when he told the leopard to shove it.

"I'm totally fine. I don't need to go back and see that doctor. I've completely healed and I have full range of movement in my arm so I really don't need to see him." Ed said it out loud, mainly for Al's benefit but he knew the two Animals knew it was directed at them as well.

"I'm not going to convince you to go, am I?" Al sighed, already sounding resigned to that fact. Ed grinned smugly.

"Go to the doctor's and get yourself checked out." Mustang's voice suddenly sounded, causing both boys to jump slightly. Ed could just make out his dark eyes glinting in the darkness and opened his mouth to argue. "That's an order." Mustang added on, obviously realising Ed was about to argue. Ed didn't need his brother to have a flesh and blood body to know the little shit was feeling extremely smug and amused right now.

"You heard the Colonel. We'll go to the hospital before we track down Major Armstrong." Al happily planned and Ed grumbled something he'd never repeat in front of Elysia.

"I hate you both." He sulked and Al patted his head a couple of times, making him bat his hand away.

"No, you don't." Al told him cheerfully, evidently not phased by Ed pushing his hand away. Ed could've sworn he heard Mustang chuckle but he wasn't sure, though that didn't stop from sending a glare towards the man. No one spoke for the rest of the night, the quiet eventually lulling Mustang and Ed to sleep while Al continued to read his book next to his brother.

Ed was awoken by one very excited little girl the next morning. Elysia had barely let him open his eyes before trying to drag him to the kitchen so he could start working on breakfast. He eventually escaped long enough to go to the toilet and get himself dressed and semi-awake before he headed back to the kitchen. This morning's request was chocolate-chip pancakes, chocolate-less ones for the Animals, and hot chocolate. Ed didn't bat an eyelash at the normally winter-morning food and drink. He just gathered the ingredients and got started cooking. Elysia helped with mixing the dry ingredients and she managed to persuade Ed into letting her pour the batter into the pan so she got to determine how big each pancake was. Once Ed heard the shuffling noises that indicated most of the humans were awake, he whipped some cream up and caramelised some fresh bananas while he waited for the pancakes to cook.

Al ventured into the kitchen once he realised Ed was nearly done cooking. Since he'd come back from Dublith with Teacher and Sig, he'd taken over table-setting duties. He found out pretty quickly after the night he was bonded to the armour that he wasn't very good in the kitchen anymore. Not being able to smell or taste meant a lot of food got burnt or tasted funny so he and Ed came to the unanimous decision that Ed was in charge of his own food. By the time he'd placed the last of the cutlery down, the others had finished getting ready for their day and ventured into the kitchen for breakfast, which Ed, Elysia and Al placed on the table once they'd sat. Murmured 'thank yous' made their way to Ed as they all helped themselves and their Animals to some food.

Ed, Al, Ayala and Chester left the same time Mustang, Nala, Hughes and Leo all left to head into work. They walked together some of the way but soon had to part ways since the hospital was in a different direction and Al still insisted they go there first. Hughes ruffled Ed's hair, earning himself a glare from the blonde, before telling them to find him at lunchtime, assuming they were done by then, so they could get lunch together. Ed rolled his eyes in apparent annoyance but they spotted the small, pleased smile he tried to hide as Al agreed. The walk to the hospital was quiet except for Ed's half-hearted attempts to try and escape the inevitable every few minutes. Ayala eventually pointed out that they would be done so much sooner if he stopped complaining and dragging his feet and then he wouldn't have to go back again. Ed didn't think the 'until you do something stupid and get hurt again' needed to be tacked onto the end of that statement.

They entered through the front doors and Ed was kinda pleased to note the weary expressions some of the staff were wearing upon spotting him. Al approached the counter and asked the man sitting there about whether Doctor Overland was in today and, in true fashion, Ed's luck was not good enough for the nurse's response to be 'sorry, no'. Once Al was assured that the doctor had been notified of Ed's arrival and would be with them as soon as he was able, the four of them headed for the waiting room seats and made themselves comfortable.

 _"I still don't understand your aversion to doctors or getting yourself help when you're injured."_ Chester said after a few minutes of quiet and caused Ed to jump slightly.

"I get myself help when I'm hurt." Ed argued, pouting slightly. Ayala looked at him curiously but he shook his head slightly, telling her not to worry. So far, he and Chester were keeping this conversation completely silent and private.

 _"You get yourself help when you're either unconscious or you've got literally no choice. If you get seriously hurt but it's not fatal or you can patch it up yourself, you don't seek help. You usually don't even tell anyone you've been injured, minor or not."_ Chester argued back. It was something that the leopard had been thinking about for a while. The first few times Ed had been injured and hospitalised for it, the boy had chucked a fit and he continued to try and squirm his way out of going to see any kind of medical professional, though he wasn't as opposed to Havoc helping him out whenever the man was observant enough to notice Ed holding himself differently. At first Chester thought it was part of his act to try and prove he was as tough, if not tougher, than everyone else. Lately though, he's been starting to think it's something else altogether. Ed didn't look overly impressed that Chester hadn't dropped the subject yet.

"I just don't like hospitals. I hate the way they smell. It's too clean. Too white." Ed told him and, while Chester could tell he believed what he just said, Chester could tell there was something he was still omitting.

 _"That might be true but that's not the main reason, is it?"_ The leopard prodded and Ed looked mildly surprised he was able to tell. The teen sighed silently and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.

"You're right." He eventually admitted, not that Chester needed him to since he knew he was. Ed didn't speak for a few minutes and Chester didn't push him. He didn't know if she knew what they were talking about but Ayala could sense Ed's distress and was nuzzling his hand. "Part of the reason I despise hospitals is because they're so white. Every time I wake up in one of those rooms after I've been knocked out or too hurt to think properly and I see all of that white, my brain immediately thinks I'm back in front of Truth and the Gate and I panic." Ed explained and Chester felt his heart tighten in response to the emotions in Ed's voice. Chester realised something he said and questioned it.

 _"You said 'part of the reason'. What's the other part?"_ Chester almost hated himself for pushing the topic. Part of his mind was begging him to drop it, leave it for another day but the logical part of his mind knew that Ed would likely never admit the other reason after today. He knew the blonde hated showing any sort of vulnerability and he knew Ed would just clamp back up and refuse to answer. Chester had also realised how much better Ed did whenever he admitted something he saw as a weakness to someone else. When he'd finally told Al that the cold weather wreaked havoc on his automail joints, Chester could tell that he expected his younger brother to tell him to suck it up or start treating him like he was fragile or something he knew Ed knew was ridiculous but Chester could also see the relief on his face when he'd admitted it out loud. Al did fuss but there was no blaming and Ed ended up having to console Al when Chester's human had apologised for not noticing sooner. So Chester wanted Ed to tell someone why hospitals terrified him and he selfishly wanted that someone to be him. He needed to know if Ed had that much trust and faith in him.

"You're too observant for your own good, you know that?" Ed chuckled dryly, breaking Chester from his thoughts. He made eye contact with Ed and almost flinched at the calculating look those golden eyes were emitting. It took a couple of minutes and Chester knew without needing the bond that Ed was tossing up whether telling him or not was a bad idea. Whether the pros outweighed the cons. Finally, Ed seemed to come to a conclusion and he let out a sigh. "It's stupid, completely irrational and definitely insane amounts of unhealthy."

 _"So, it's basically like every decision you make in a fight?"_ Chester teased him lightly, hoping it would alleviate the atmosphere between the two of them. Al had yet to show any outward sign he knew something was up. Ed graced him with a small, amused smile before his face fell again.

"I don't tell anyone I'm hurt because," he paused, mulling over his words, "because I see every injury as a punishment. At first, it was punishment for pushing Al into performing that transmutation with me and for what happened to him. Then it was for what I let happen to Nina and Alexander. Now it's punishment for every stupid decision I've made where someone had either been almost killed or killed as a direct result of my actions. I'll never forgive myself for what I did to Al and I'll keep paying for my sins by fighting bad guys and homunculi and whatever else gets thrown at me. Every injury is not only punishment but it's a reminder of why I'm still fighting. I don't get them treated because my pain is nothing compared to what Nina must've gone through, what Al went through and still goes through. My suffering is nothing compared to that. This is just my way of trying to even it out." Ed finishes talking and Chester is completely shocked. He had no clue what kind of answer he expected but he sure wasn't expecting that.

The way Ayala's golden eyes shone, like she was daring Chester to yell at Ed, tell him how completely insane and idiotic he was, made him actually stop and think about his reaction before he mentally opened his mouth. He realised that that was exactly what he was about to do. What his mind immediately told him was the right and appropriate course of action. One of his best friends just told him the reason he avoided medical attention was basically because he thought he didn't deserve it, that it was righteous punishment for things that he blamed himself for and his first instinct was to berate him for feeling that way. Now that he'd thought it through, he realised there was only one way to react to that statement but before he could, a nurse appeared to escort them to Doctor Overland's office. Chester felt the relief and apprehension go through his and Ed's bond and he wasn't sure if that was because he wasn't able to talk to the blonde straight away or if it was because of the impending doctor visit.

"Ah, Major Elric. I'm glad to see you remembered your check-up." Doctor Overland said in a way of greeting while ushering the four of them inside and gesturing to the chairs. Ed sat down immediately, poised to escape as soon as possible while Al stood behind him and the Animals on either side. Doctor Overland sat himself down in his chair while flicking through Ed's medical records. "How has your recovery been? Your shoulder should be just about healed now." He asked and Ed nodded.

"I'm fine. None of the injuries got infected, I've got full range of movement in my shoulder and everything else has healed." Ed told him, a little snappishly but the doctor either didn't notice or he ignored the tone.

"Excellent. If you don't mind, I'd like to take a look at that shoulder again. As long as it's fine, you can be cleared for missions again." The doctor informed and Ed sighed.

 _"Remember what I said about this going quicker if you cooperated?"_ Ayala asked and Ed nodded, which the doctor took as permission to look at the shoulder. Ed shrugged his arm out of his jackets and Doctor Overland moved his tank-tops sleeve to get a full view of the scar. A couple of minutes and a few prods and requested movements from Ed later, the four of them were walking out of the room with Ed cleared for duty.

"Told you I was fine. Complete waste of everyone's time." Ed grumbled as they left the building. Chester barely heard him. He was still thinking about how he was going to manage to talk to Ed alone about what he said.

"And now we know for sure and Colonel Mustang can manufacture a mission to get us up north to Fort Briggs. If anyone tries to use your injuries as an excuse to stop you from going, you'll have the doctor's letter saying you've been medically cleared." Al pointed out and Ed gave him a side-eyed glare as he muttered something unflattering again.

"I hate it when your right." He grumbled childishly as they wove their way through the semi-crowded streets and up towards the base. Chester was still trying to figure out what he would say when he picked up a scent at the same time as Ayala. Both Animals paused just for a moment before they continued on like nothing had happened but both their humans knew something was up.

"What happened? What did you sense?" Al's worried voice sounded in his head and, judging from the way they were holding themselves, Ayala and Ed were having the same conversation.

 _"A homunculi. The same scent we picked up outside Izumi and Sig's hotel room, only a lot stronger this time."_ Chester answered him and Al picked up the confused undertone in his voice.

"Why do you sound confused?" He asked cautiously, like he wasn't really sure he wanted to know the answer.

 _"It didn't smell... hostile, like the others. It smells almost familiar. Almost like I've smelled an extremely weak trail somewhere before but I can't remember where. But it also doesn't smell like the homunculi is intent on destruction, like that Palm Tree guy or the lady or even the Fuhrer. I can't explain it but it's almost like this homunculi is friendly."_ Chester tried to explain it to Al but he wasn't sure he did a very good job.

"So is it still nearby?" Al asked but Chester shook his head. It was like the homunculi had noticed them pick it's scent up and left quickly. Al hummed before tapping Ed on the shoulder. One look at the blonde's face and a quick read of his emotions told Chester Ed was as confused with what Ayala had told as Al was with the leopard himself. "What do we do now?" Al asked casually and, to anyone who may have heard him, it sounded innocent enough. Ed thought carefully before sighing.

"We leave it. They said it didn't seem dangerous so we leave it for now. Let's just get to the office. We can talk about it more there. Or, better yet, when we're back at the Hughes'." Ed whispered loud enough for Al to hear him but low enough the noise around them prevented anyone else from overhearing them. Al nodded his agreement and the rest of their walk was spent in silence, all of them on guard just in case they were wrong. The only thing they discussed the rest of the way was whether they should head to Mustang's office first or go get lunch with Maes. Again, Al won that argument by telling Ed it wasn't lunchtime yet anyway. Ed accepted defeat less maturely than Al would've liked.

They made it the office without getting spotted by too many people, which Ed was happy about because it meant less people sucking up to him. The level of noise that greeted them broke the record for greetings so far. Ed coped it a little worse since he had the teams Animals yelling in excitement in his head as well. In the case of Fuery and Breda, they hadn't seen the blonde and his youngest brother since before the transfer to Central so they were a lot more excited. Ed greeted everyone and allowed himself to be scooped up into a group hug/noogie thing they'd initiated before he'd managed to get through the door enough for it to be shut. Hawkeye, unsurprisingly, was the only team member out in the main office who didn't participate in the group hug but she did offer Ed a warm smile once he was released.

"It's good to see you, Edward. You look a lot better than the last time I saw you." Hawkeye said as she watched him straighten his mussed hair and clothing. Ed gave her his trademark grin.

"You know me. I heal quick. Besides, that fight with Archer was no where near as challenging as my sparring sessions with Teacher." Ed told her but Hawkeye didn't get the chance to respond to that because Al nudged Ed and hissed a reminder about what Ayala and Chester had picked up. Ed nodded his understanding before connecting with Soren and initiating a telepathic conversation with the bird. "Hey, Soren. Can you ask Miss Riza if this office is bugged?" There were a few moments of confused silence before Hawkeye nodded her head. Ed sighed. "What about Mustang's inner office?" He asked the bird and received another nod from Hawkeye. He almost growled in frustration before sighing resignedly.

 _"What's all this about, Ed?"_ Soren asked almost as soon as Hawkeye had answered the second question.

"Fuck it." Ed said out loud but continued before Al could reprimand him for his language. "Audio, visual or both?" Ed asked and Hawkeye narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Just visual for now." She answered shortly and Ed nodded. At least that worked in his favour.

"Okay, I'm gonna tell your Animals what's up and they'll pass the message onto you. I'll be linking with Nala as well. Ask them any questions and they can ask me. Got it?" The men on the team looked slightly confused, their Animals having not been part of Soren and Ed's conversation thus they didn't know what Ed had been asking. He sent a quick message to Nala explaining what was about to happen and, once he got her go-ahead and permission from the team, he explained what had happened and the unusual scent. As he predicated, there were a lot of immediate concerns that they had gone after it alone and queries about what the lack of animosity the scent gave off meant. Ed answered as best as he could but he was starting to find himself struggling to keep up with the questions when Mustang opened his private office door and interrupted the silent interrogations.

"I was wondering why I couldn't hear any work being done out here. If you've finished disrupting the rest of the team, go and find Hughes. He keeps calling me about whether you've turned up yet or not." Mustang ordered casually and Ed took the escape he was given, not arguing since he knew he was only a minute or so from snapping at the teams Animals out of annoyance from all the questioning. He'd almost made it through the door when Mustang started speaking again. "Once you're done with him, come back here. I have a new mission for you, assuming you've been cleared to work by your doctor." Ed didn't bother replying, aside from a huffed 'whatever' and dismissive wave of his hand, before he fully escaped, Ayala on his heels. Al and Chester only followed once they'd given the Colonel and his team an apology for Ed's behaviour.

"Brother, that was kind of rude." Al scolded as they walked. "The team were just worried about us and you know they were just curious about why that homunculi was so different to the others. There was no reason to leave like that." He looked down to see Ed looking slightly abashed but his jaw still had that stubborn set to it.

"I know but they were just so loud and they were talking over each other and not listening to me. I couldn't even make sense of what each Animal was asking, they were that loud." Ed admitted after a moment of silence as they turned the corner and headed up some stairs. "Next time I have something I need to tell everyone, I'm doing it when I'm not in the same room and I'll be doing it one at a time. I'm pretty sure my head is still spinning from having so many Animals talking in it at once." Ed complained and Ayala winced in sympathy. She could feel his budding headache through their bond. Thankfully, they made it to Hughes' office with no distractions or diversions.

"Miss Sheska!" Ed and Al chorused in greeting as they spotted the mousy brunette. A small, grey bundle looked up at the same time as his human. "Sam!" Ed called out happily as he spotted the little Chinchilla as they approached the pair. Ed was forced to think quick as Sam launched himself off Sheska's shoulder at Ed with only a squeal of the blonde's name echoing in his head serving as his only warning. He caught the fluffy projectile but it was a near thing.

"Sam!" Sheska gasped out as her heart almost gave out as she watched her Animal fall to the floor only for Ed to scoop him up at the last second before she could even move. "I am so sorry for his actions!" She apologised, bowing low with her hands clasped in front of her.

"It's okay, no harm done." Ed chuckled as he placed Sam up on his own shoulder and offered the woman a grin. "How you been, Miss Sheska? How's your mum? Has Hughes been nice?" He asked as he and Al approached her desk and Sam clambered down his arm to rejoin his human. She absentmindedly gave him a scratch before giving Ed a small yet sunny smile.

"I've been really good! Lieutenant-Colonel Hughes has been giving me a lot of work but I don't mind. I enjoy keeping busy and this is a job that lets me read most of the time, even if the reading material isn't always the most riveting." She chuckled a little. "My mum is doing really well, thanks for asking. She's so much happier in the hospital I was able to move her to thanks to you two. Oh! That reminds me!" She suddenly exclaimed, a lot louder than her usual self, jumping up from her desk and rifling through something in the corner. Ed, Ayala, Al and Chester watched her, amused and slightly perplexed. Sam was doing his best to help but he wasn't quite big enough to do much. Sheska soon came up with two boxes from her little pile of stuff and approached the boys, almost vibrating from her excitement.

"What's this?" Ed asked as he accepted the box Sheska gave him while Al looked over his curiously.

"My mum wanted me to give you these as her way of saying thanks for helping me find a new job. I meant to give them to Lieutenant-Colonel Hughes last Friday but I forgot. I'm sorry." She apologised but Ed didn't really take much notice as he was busy tearing off the paper. The paper had been reduced to shreds and two small piles were soon formed at the boys feet to reveal identical boxes, the tops of which were soon on the floor with the wrapping paper. Inside were hand-knitted scarves with a matching beanie and pair of gloves. Sheska watched their reactions nervously. "She asked me all sorts of questions about you. I think she made yours red because of your coat, Ed. Since I didn't know if you were partial to any particular colour, Al, mum took a bit of artistic liberty, as she put it. I hope you like green." She explained, talking a little fast out of nerves, while Ed and Al pulled their new things out to look at them closer.

"I love green. Your mum is awesome!" Al exclaimed, ecstatic as he carefully lifted his scarf out while Ed tried on his left handed glove. Al's happy mood dropped slightly as he let the scarf slip through his gauntlet, not feeling the material and feeling a little upset he couldn't say much more about the gift. Ed picked up on the mood shift fairly quickly and felt the familiar aching guilt that made itself more prominent anytime he was reminded of what Al was missing out on because of him.

"This material is so soft and warm. We can use these up north, Al!" Ed practically gushed, using the compliment as a way to describe the material to Al.

"You're right, brother." Al knew what Ed was doing and he was immensely thankful for it. Sheska had no clue about what the exchange really meant. She was just glad the boys really liked their present. Ed turned to face her and gave her a beaming smile.

"We didn't really do much to help you get a job. We just introduced you to Hughes. But we really appreciate the presents. Please tell your mum 'thank you' from us." Ed and Al both bowed their thanks to the semi-flustered woman. Al echoed Ed's request to pass along their thanks as they straightened back up.

"If you didn't find me and request those notes, you couldn't have introduced me to Lieutenant-Colonel Hughes and who knows what my life would be like right now." Sheska argued her point. She was, thankfully, saved by Hughes finally realising something was happening and emerging from his inner office. Ed had banked on his uncanny ability to sense gossip happening within a 10km radius to bring him out sooner.

"Hey there, Elrics. Are you distracting my team? Hey, where's the rest of my team?" He asked suddenly as he looked around the nearly empty office, surprise on his face.

"They're out following up on leads and working on their various cases, Lieutenant-Colonel Hughes." Sheska reminded him and he nodded as he recalled his morning.

"That would explain it. Are you two ready for lunch?" Hughes asked before spotting the knitted goods in their hands. "What's that?" Ed rolled his eyes at Hughes' inability to let people answer one question before asking another.

"Yes, we are and they're presents from Miss Sheska's mum." Al answered before Ed could say anything snarky in response. Ed realised this and poked his tongue out while Al wasn't looking.

"Child." Hughes teased, eyes twinkling good-naturedly.

"Because you can talk." Ed shot back sarcastically, causing Sheska to giggle slightly before she managed to stifle it.

"I have no idea what you're implying there, Ed." Hughes informed him and Ed gave him a smirk.

"Would you like an alphabetical list or a consecutive one of your more infamously childish moments?" Ed asked him, still smirking.

"I thought we were having lunch sometime today?" Al mentally rolled his eyes as he interrupted the two of them. He was sure Hughes would know not to challenge Ed in these types of arguments but the man might also not realise just how stubborn and petty his elder brother could be. It astonished him sometimes, the length his brother would go to prove his point or to prove someone wrong.

"Oh yeah. Can we go? I'm starving." Ed asked, his demeanour changing completely at the reminder of food. Al could hear Chester's huff of laughter and see Leo's rather impressive eye-roll, both actions reflecting exactly what Al had felt in his very soul at that moment.

"Well, we wouldn't want that, now would we?" Hughes drawled before making 'shooing' gestures to the door. "Would you like to join us, Sheska?" The brunette startled slightly at the invitation but shook her head.

"Thank you, Lieutenant-Colonel but no. I have too much work left to do here." She declined politely though she did look a little devastated she couldn't go. Sam's comforting nuzzle seemed to brighten her mood a little.

"Are you sure?" When she nodded, he frowned a little but accepted it. "Did you want me to bring you some lunch back than? We'll be eating at the little Cretan diner." He asked instead and Sheska thought for a moment before answering.

"If it's not too much trouble, I'd really appreciate it. I forgot to bring mine in today." She smiled sheepishly and Sam let out a small sigh of exasperation that Ed wanted to laugh at.

 _"I wouldn't laugh if I were you."_ Ayala warned. _"The amount of times I've had to remind you of simple things like eating is ridiculous."_ That shut Ed up quick smart and Ayala allowed herself to feel slightly smug. Hughes managed to assure Sheska that it was fine and got her lunch order before they were finally on their way to get the promised Cretan.

Lunch was a delicious and uneventful affair. Ed proclaimed the restaurant to be one of the best Cretan places he'd tried during his travels so far and ate both his and Al's orders before trying to steal some of Maes' whenever the man was distracted. He was caught more often than not but Al just appreciated the fact that Ed was acting like the child he should've been rather than the adult he was forced to. They were on their way back to Hughes' office after a slight argument about who would pick up the tab (Hughes won but only because he managed to pay when Ed was distracted) when a familiar someone made themselves known with a very familiar voice.

"LIEUTENANT-COLONEL HUGHES! ELRIC BROTHERS! HOW WONDERFUL IT IS TO SEE YOU ALL IN ONE PLACE!" Major Armstrong called as he and Gary headed towards them from the opposite end of the hallway.

"Well, that's convenient." Ed muttered as Hughes let out his own greeting. Leo looked like he was contemplating escaping back to their office. That fox really wasn't a social butterfly like his human. Al nudged Ed, reminding him manners were needed more that sarcastic comments.

"Hey, Major Armstrong. Hey, Gary. How you been?" Ed asked, giving them a little wave. The gorilla gave him a careful clap on his flesh shoulder, probably still concerned about his injury.

 _"Hello, Edward. How are you?"_ Gary asked as he removed his hand after a moment.

"I'm all good. Nice to you two again. What are you doing here?" Ed asked, not believing Armstrong and Gary's appearance was merely a coincidence.

"Colonel Mustang ran into us earlier this morning and passed along a message from the two of you. You wished to meet with me after lunch at Lieutenant-Colonel Hughes' office. Was this incorrect?" Armstrong informed them and Ed blinked in surprise. He hadn't asked Mustang to do anything like that and he doubted Al had as well. So Mustang had done something nice for him? He was so confused. Mustang didn't do him favours without asking for something in return and Ed really doubted he'd have ever found out Mustang had sent Armstrong over if he hadn't asked why they were here.

"No, this is great. We wanted to ask you a couple of questions." Al reassured him a moment before the silence became weird.

"Excellent. What can I help you two young alchemists with? Helping people is a trait that's been passed down the Armstrong line for generations!" Armstrong boomed, causing Ed and Al to physically flinch at the sudden increase in volume. Hughes seemed to be used to it since he didn't even blink. Leo just looked more annoyed than usual. Ayala and Chester weren't pleased by the volume increase either.

"Uh, thanks. We just wanted to ask some questions about your sister, Major General Armstrong. We've been warned that we're probably heading north soon and will more than likely end up at Fort Briggs. There's certain things we need to talk to her about and we'd appreciate any information you can tell us about her." Ed said out loud before adding quietly to Gary "It's related to the Fifth Lab." He saw Gary nod slightly as he passed along the message.

"Ah my eldest sister! She's a fierce and loyal woman, more than worthy of the Armstrong name! She's a shining jewel in the military's crown! All of her subordinates are fiercely loyal to her. She comes across a little tough but she really is a warm person once you get to know her." Armstrong waxed poetic about his sister, painting an entirely different picture of his sister than the one Ed had of her.

"We've heard she's more than a little tough. Rumour has it, she attacked the last person who got near Fort Briggs entrance without her permission." Ed casually said, making up the rumour. At the same time, he sent a question to Gary. "If we were to reveal the truth behind the Fuhrer and the array, would she side with the military or us?" Judging from Armstrong's face, he'd gotten the message and was contemplating his answer.

"My sister is a little harsh on those she doesn't know and it's no secret that she doesn't like people she doesn't trust. I'm sure you've heard she's earned herself the moniker 'Ice Queen'. However, once you've earned her respect, she's as loyal as any other member of the Armstrong family. After all, loyalty is a trait that's been passed down the Armstrong line for generations!" Armstrong once again boomed loud enough Ed swore the walls shook.

 _"We believe she will not side with the homunculi. Whether she will fight with us depends on what she thinks of you."_ Gary said, using their bond to pass along the message. Ed nodded. The fact that they believed she wouldn't side with the homunculi was what Ed needed to hear the most. It was possible they'd have an ally up north after all.

"Thanks, Major Armstrong. Hopefully Mustang will pass along the message that I'm to be expected. That would certainly save us a headache or two." Ed said and Al shook his head.

"Of course he's going to let them know. He has to make sure the Major-General is there to meet with us." Al reminded him and Ed shrugged noncommittally. He wouldn't put it passed the man who regularly forgot he could end up with a bullet hole in him if he kept sleeping on the job to forget to place a phone call.

"Can I help you with anything else, Elrics'?" Armstrong asked.

"No, thank you. This was all we needed to know. Thank you, Major." Ed said as he shook he head and gave the two of them a smile.

"I'm glad we could help you boys out. If there truly isn't more we can help with, we should be on our way. We have a fair amount of work to catch up on." Armstrong said and they exchanged their goodbyes. Hughes, the boys and their Animals watched the pair walk away before they continued on their original journey. Leo was very happy to see the office door and beat them to it before he realised he couldn't open it by himself. Sam must've sensed them or Leo had passed along a message because Sheska opened the door for him to slip through.

"Lieutenant-Colonel Hughes, Ed, Al! I didn't expect you back so quickly!" She exclaimed, hurriedly opening the door wider for them. "I was wondering why Leo asked Sam to get me to open the door up for him." She explained as they moved into the room and she shut the door behind before squeaking in surprise as Hughes thrust the take-out bag in front of her face.

"I hope you like pasta. I can't remember what this dish is called but its a garlic-y type dish." Hughes explained as the slightly startled woman took the bag presented to her.

"Thank you, sir. I really appreciate it. How much do I owe you?" She asked as she moved towards, Ed assumed, her purse but stopped short when she saw Hughes shaking his head.

"Don't worry about it. Think of this as a 'thank you' for all of your hard work." Hughes told her and held up a hand, effectively stopping any of her protests.

"Thank you." She said quietly after a few moments as she realised she wouldn't be winning this round.

"Don't mention it." He smiled at her before turning back towards the brothers still hanging in his office. "What are you lot going to do now?" He asked.

"Unless Al has a different plan, I figured we'd head back to your place. I'm hoping Michella or Winry will contact me to give me a definite day my order will be ready so we can organise our trip to Rush Valley." Ed told him. He wasn't going to initiate contact with the easily-irritated monkey, not after how stressed she sounded last time. He may not be amazing at figuring out emotions or knowing where to draw the line in most cases but he wasn't completely stupid in that area. Annoying the monkey and Winry would not do him any favours.

"Actually, yes, we do have other plans." Al said and Ed raised a brow at him. "Colonel Mustang wanted us to go back to his office, remember. He has mission details for you." Ed groaned as he remembered that Mustang had indeed asked for them to return to the office. The blonde shot Hughes a glare as the man's chuckles broke through his annoyance.

"Fine. Let's go get my orders then we can go back to the Hughes'." Ed grumbled as he stood back up from the chair he'd collapsed in. Al was smart enough to walk behind his brother as they gathered their presents from Sheska's mother and headed for the door.

"I'll see you at home, boys!" Hughes called out as they made it the door. "Say 'hello' to my girls for me!"

"You'll see them in a few hours." Ed rolled his eyes at the same time as Al assured the man they would.

"It was lovely to see you again. Thank you for coming by." Sheska bowed to them.

"It was great seeing you again, Miss Sheska. Please thank your mother for our gifts. Hopefully, we can catch up after our mission." Ed said as he and Al bowed back, showing their gratitude. Al also said his own thank you, the sincerity of their thanks seemed to make the brunette flustered a bit. Ed decided to do her a small favour and take the attention off of her slightly. "It was nice to see you as well, Sam. Keep working on your jumping, though." He winked at the little Chinchilla who grinned at him and even gave a small salute. With a final wave goodbye, the boys and their Animals finally left the office and made their way back to Mustang's.

As they entered the outer office, the team half-stood out of their chairs to greet them but seemed obviously hesitant and Ed figured it probably had something to do with how he left. He normally wasn't so angry at the team whenever he left. Angry at Mustang, yes, but not at the team. He guessed that was probably a nasty surprise to them and he knew he should apologise, especially to the Animals because he wasn't even sure what they heard before he cut off his connections to them all. So when he felt their concern and guilt pressing through his connections, he was understandably surprised. It wasn't their fault he hadn't been able to answer their questions or been able to handle that many Animals in his head at the same time. He should have been able to. He should have been strong enough.

"Finished with Lieutenant-Colonel Hughes already, boys?" Hawkeye's voice broke through his self-deprecation spiral before it could really get started.

"Yup. Gotta discuss what will surely be absolutely riveting mission details with Mustang now before we can leave to finish getting prepared." Edward said with obviously fake enthusiasm. That garnered a few smiles and lessened the obvious tension still in the room.

"Brother." Al sighed in resignation. Honestly, he wasn't even sure why he bothered protesting his elder brother's behaviour anymore. It wasn't like he listened often enough for it to make a difference.

"I'm sure you'll find that he's already expecting you four." Hawkeye informed them. "I just got off the phone to him. He called to say you could go on through immediately." Ed rolled his eyes.

"I'm sure he thinks it's impressive he knew when I'd be here but I know for a fact that Nala was the one who told him. She told me they were waiting." Ed snorted and heard at least three other snorts of amusement echo his. Hawkeye didn't join in on the amusement but she didn't lecture them for it so they counted that as a win.

"Come on, Brother. The sooner we get in there, the sooner we can leave." Al cajoled, using his usual bribing technique. It had the desired effect, like it always did; Ed moving towards the inner office door with the goal of leaving as quickly as he can. If Al had a flesh and blood body, he'd have rolled his eyes. A resounding 'BANG!' informed Al his brother had already entered the office and, with a small wave to the rest of the team, headed after his brother to try and put out any fires (hopefully not literal fires) the two started.

"Glad to see your abuse of my door wasn't limited to East City. Have a seat." Mustang drawled unimpressed with the treatment of said door. Al closed it softly before heading over to stand behind the couch his brother was sitting on. Nala was happily lapping up the attention Ed was giving her in the form of head and ear scratches.

"Of course it wasn't. Now, Nala only told us the bare minimum of what our mission is and we've gotten more information about Major-General Armstrong from Major Armstrong. So what else do we need to discuss?" Ed made himself more comfy on the couch while Ayala clambered up and joined him. Chester decided to take the second couch all for himself.

Mustang didn't look surprised that Nala had told him some of the details already. They really weren't all that much. Just things he'd already known and stuff like when they expected Ed to start heading for Fort Briggs. He still didn't know who was supposed to be travelling with him or what the whole plan was.

"Let's start with what Armstrong told you then we can work out the details for the mission from there." Mustang leant forward on his desk, focusing on Edward.

 **A/N - Another chapter up! I'm sorry for the wait on these updates but I'm really trying to get the ball rolling on the plot so I'm trying to hash out all of the details. I apologise, again, for the length of this chapter. I really hope you enjoy it! Please leave a review telling me what you think of it! Reviews make my day, especially ones that comment on my actual writing and the story-line. Thank you to everyone who has followed this story and to those of you who are still reading it and a massive thank you to everyone who has left me reviews already! Until next time!**


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